Last year, astronomers discovered an unusual Earth-size exoplanet they believe has a hemisphere of molten lava, with its other hemisphere tidally locked in perpetual darkness. And at about the same time, a different group discovered a rare small, cold exoplanet with a massive outer companion 100 times the mass of Jupiter.

For the first time, scientists have developed a 3D map of an atmosphere belonging to a planet outside our solar system. Attached to a particularly mysterious alien world, the newly charted atmosphere challenges astronomers' understanding of how weather works on other planets.

Astronomers have achieved a breakthrough in planetary science, revealing the complex weather of a distant gas giant with unprecedented detail. By mapping the three-dimensional structure of the planet’s atmosphere,

Astronomers have peered through the atmosphere of a planet beyond the Solar System, mapping its 3D structure for the first time. By combining all four telescope units of the European Southern Observat