Uploaded February 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
Astronomers may have found the missing link in the story of the Milky Way’s most common planets.
In this SETI Live, host Moiya McTier is joined by exoplanet scientist John H. Livingston to explore a new discovery that helps connect the dots between small rocky worlds like Earth and the larger “sub-Neptunes” that dominate our galaxy.
Using cutting-edge observations and statistical analysis, researchers have identified a population of planets that appears to bridge a long-standing gap in our understanding of planetary formation. For years, astronomers have known that planets of sizes between Earth and Neptune are incredibly common—but their origins and evolutionary paths have remained puzzling. This new result may finally clarify how these worlds form, evolve, and sometimes transform.
What does this mean for:
• How do planetary systems assemble?
• Why does our Solar System look so unusual?
• The search for habitable worlds beyond Earth?
Join us live as we break down the science, the methods, and the bigger implications for exoplanet research and the search for life.
Press release: abc-nins.jp/en/2026/01/08/10010
Paper: nature.com/articles/s41586-025-09840-z
#Space #Science #Exoplanets #PlanetaryScience #PlanetaryFormation
📺 SETI Live is a weekly livestream from the SETI Institute, featuring researchers and discoveries that deepen our understanding of the universe—and our place within it.
If you like science, support the SETI Institute! We're a non-profit research institution focused on understanding the nature and origins of life in the universe. 💸 Donate here: seti.org/donate
Learn more about the SETI Institute and stay up-to-date on awesome science:
🛎 Subscribe to our YouTube channel at youtube.com/c/SETIInstitute
🕹 Watch our streams over on Twitch at twitch.tv/setiinstitute
🎧 Listen to our podcast feeds.libsyn.com/462636/rss
📧 Subscribe to our weekly newsletter seti.org/signup
👕 Buy merchandise from Chop Shop chopshopstore.com/collections/seti-institute/SETI
Don't forget to like and subscribe! Ring the bell for notifications of when we go live.
Astronomers may have found the missing link in the story of the Milky Way’s most common planets.
In this SETI Live, host Moiya McTier is joined by exoplanet scientist John H. Livingston to explore a new discovery that helps connect the dots between small rocky worlds like Earth and the larger “sub-Neptunes” that dominate our galaxy.
Using cutting-edge observations and statistical analysis, researchers have identified a population of planets that appears to bridge a long-standing gap in our understanding of planetary formation. For years, astronomers have known that planets of sizes between Earth and Neptune are incredibly common—but their origins and evolutionary paths have remained puzzling. This new result may finally clarify how these worlds form, evolve, and sometimes transform.
What does this mean for:
• How do planetary systems assemble?
• Why does our Solar System look so unusual?
• The search for habitable worlds beyond Earth?
Join us live as we break down the science, the methods, and the bigger implications for exoplanet research and the search for life.
Press release: abc-nins.jp/en/2026/01/08/10010
Paper: nature.com/articles/s41586-025-09840-z
#Space #Science #Exoplanets #PlanetaryScience #PlanetaryFormation
📺 SETI Live is a weekly livestream from the SETI Institute, featuring researchers and discoveries that deepen our understanding of the universe—and our place within it.
If you like science, support the SETI Institute! We're a non-profit research institution focused on understanding the nature and origins of life in the universe. 💸 Donate here: seti.org/donate
Learn more about the SETI Institute and stay up-to-date on awesome science:
🛎 Subscribe to our YouTube channel at youtube.com/c/SETIInstitute
🕹 Watch our streams over on Twitch at twitch.tv/setiinstitute
🎧 Listen to our podcast feeds.libsyn.com/462636/rss
📧 Subscribe to our weekly newsletter seti.org/signup
👕 Buy merchandise from Chop Shop chopshopstore.com/collections/seti-institute/SETI
Don't forget to like and subscribe! Ring the bell for notifications of when we go live.
