Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Kepler's First Law of Planetary Motion01:10

Kepler's First Law of Planetary Motion

5.9K
In the early 17th century, German astronomer and mathematician Johannes Kepler postulated three laws for the motion of planets in the solar system. He formulated his first two laws based on the observations of his forebears, Nikolaus Copernicus and Tycho Brahe.
Polish astronomer Nikolaus Copernicus put forth a theory that stated a heliocentric model for the solar system. According to this heliocentric theory, all the planets, including Earth, orbit the Sun in circular orbits.
On the other hand,...
5.9K
Kepler's Second Law of Planetary Motion01:29

Kepler's Second Law of Planetary Motion

5.6K
In the early 17th century, German astronomer and mathematician Johannes Kepler postulated three laws for the motion of planets in the solar system. His first law states that all planets orbit the Sun in an elliptical orbit, with the Sun at one of the ellipse's foci. Therefore, the distance of a planet from the Sun varies throughout its revolution around the Sun.
While in an elliptical orbit, the total energy of the planet is conserved. Therefore, the planet slows down when it is at apogee and...
5.6K
Kepler's Third Law of Planetary Motion01:18

Kepler's Third Law of Planetary Motion

4.5K
In the early 17th century, German astronomer and mathematician Johannes Kepler postulated three laws for the motion of planets in the solar system. In 1909, he formulated his first two laws based on the observations of his forebears, Nikolaus Copernicus and Tycho Brahe. However, in 1918, he published his third law of planetary motion, which gives a precise mathematical relationship between a planet's average distance from the Sun and the amount of time it takes to revolve around the Sun. It...
4.5K
Circular Orbits and Critical Velocity for Satellites01:16

Circular Orbits and Critical Velocity for Satellites

5.6K
The Moon orbits around the Earth. In turn, the Earth (and other planets) orbit the Sun. The space directly above our atmosphere is filled with artificial satellites in orbit. One can examine the circular orbit, the simplest kind of orbit, to understand the relationship between the speed and the period of planets and satellites with respect to their positions and the bodies that they orbit.
Nicolaus Copernicus (1473-1543) first suggested that the Earth and all other planets orbit the Sun in...
5.6K
Acceleration due to Gravity on Other Planets01:24

Acceleration due to Gravity on Other Planets

5.1K
The gravitational acceleration of an object near the Earth's surface is called the acceleration due to gravity. It can be measured by conducting simple experiments on Earth. However, such an experiment is impossible to conduct on the surface of other planets.
Astronomical observations are thus used to measure the acceleration due to gravity on other planets. This can be determined by observing the effect of a planet's gravity on objects close to it. The crucial factor that helps in this...
5.1K
Conditions on Early Earth02:06

Conditions on Early Earth

102.6K
Around 4 billion years ago, oceans began to condense on earth while volcanic eruptions released nitrogen, carbon dioxide, methane, ammonia, and hydrogen into the primordial atmosphere. However, organisms with the characteristics of life were not initially present on earth. Scientists have used experimentation to determine how organisms evolved that could grow, reproduce, and maintain an internal environment.
102.6K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

A high-resolution, US-scale digital similar of interacting livestock, wild birds, and human ecosystems for multihost epidemic spread.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2026
Same author

Lipidomic Analysis of Human Plasma and Hippocampus Across Alzheimer's Progression and Preclinical 5xFAD Mouse Model.

Molecular neurobiology·2026
Same author

Inventory and risk characterization of urban runoff pollutants in Europe.

Water research·2026
Same author

Machine Learning-Assisted LIBS Identification of Epoxy Resins in CFRP for Recycling Processes.

Materials (Basel, Switzerland)·2026
Same author

A universal brown dwarf desert formed between planets and stars.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2026
Same author

A Systematic Literature Review of the Epidemiological, Diagnostic Workup, Humanistic, and Economic Burden of Alzheimer's Disease in Spain.

Cureus·2026

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 15, 2026

Surface Mapping of Earth-like Exoplanets using Single Point Light Curves
06:48

Surface Mapping of Earth-like Exoplanets using Single Point Light Curves

Published on: May 10, 2020

4.0K

A terrestrial planet candidate in a temperate orbit around Proxima Centauri.

Guillem Anglada-Escudé1, Pedro J Amado2, John Barnes3

  • 1School of Physics and Astronomy, Queen Mary University of London, 327 Mile End Road, London E1 4NS, UK.

Nature
|August 26, 2016
PubMed
Summary

Astronomers discovered a new exoplanet orbiting Proxima Centauri, our closest stellar neighbor. This potentially habitable planet, Proxima b, has a minimum mass of 1.3 Earth masses and orbits within the star's habitable zone.

More Related Videos

Simulation of the Planetary Interior Differentiation Processes in the Laboratory
06:04

Simulation of the Planetary Interior Differentiation Processes in the Laboratory

Published on: November 15, 2013

12.1K
Scattering And Absorption of Light in Planetary Regoliths
11:34

Scattering And Absorption of Light in Planetary Regoliths

Published on: July 1, 2019

11.1K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Mar 15, 2026

Surface Mapping of Earth-like Exoplanets using Single Point Light Curves
06:48

Surface Mapping of Earth-like Exoplanets using Single Point Light Curves

Published on: May 10, 2020

4.0K
Simulation of the Planetary Interior Differentiation Processes in the Laboratory
06:04

Simulation of the Planetary Interior Differentiation Processes in the Laboratory

Published on: November 15, 2013

12.1K
Scattering And Absorption of Light in Planetary Regoliths
11:34

Scattering And Absorption of Light in Planetary Regoliths

Published on: July 1, 2019

11.1K

Area of Science:

  • Astronomy and Astrophysics
  • Exoplanetary Science
  • Stellar Physics

Background:

  • Proxima Centauri, the closest red dwarf star to the Sun, is extensively studied.
  • Low-mass stars like Proxima Centauri are common, making them key targets for exoplanet searches.
  • Understanding planetary systems around nearby stars is crucial for comparative planetology.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To detect and characterize exoplanets orbiting Proxima Centauri.
  • To determine the orbital parameters and minimum mass of a newly discovered planet.
  • To assess the potential habitability of the exoplanet based on its equilibrium temperature.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized observational data to detect the presence of a planet.
  • Analyzed radial velocity or transit data to infer orbital period and semi-major axis.
  • Calculated the minimum mass of the exoplanet based on its orbital characteristics.

Main Results:

  • Discovery of a small planet, designated Proxima b, orbiting Proxima Centauri.
  • The exoplanet has a minimum mass of approximately 1.3 Earth masses.
  • Proxima b orbits its star every 11.2 days at a distance of 0.05 astronomical units, with an equilibrium temperature suitable for liquid water.

Conclusions:

  • Proxima b is the closest known exoplanet to Earth.
  • The planet's location within the habitable zone suggests the potential for surface liquid water.
  • This discovery highlights the possibility of finding potentially habitable planets around nearby low-mass stars.