One of the biggest recent surprises in astronomy is the discovery that most stars like the Sun harbor a planet between the size of Earth and Neptune within the orbit of Mercury — sizes and orbits absent from our solar system. These ‘ super-Earths' and ` sub-Neptunes’ are the galaxy's most common planets, but their formation has been shrouded in mystery. Now, an international team of astronomers has found a crucial missing link. By weighing four newborn planets in the V1298 Tau system, they've captured a rare snapshot of worlds in the process of transforming into the galaxy's most common

From 2–6 March 2026, Ghent University will host a landmark event at the intersection of astrophysics and artificial intelligence. Jointly organized by the EDUCADO , MWGaiaDN , and alongside a third partnering TALES , all MSCA Doctoral Networks. The EDUCADO Training School on Astro–AI and Machine Learning will bring together leading experts and early-career researchers to tackle the data challenges of modern science. The five-day programme offers a blend of expert-led lectures and hands-on training sessions. The curriculum focuses on high-impact fields, including artificial intelligence

The PLATO (PLAnetary Transits and Oscillations of Stars) space mission, led by the European Space Agency (ESA), has recently completed one of the most delicate phases of its development: the integration of its main components, the 26 scientific cameras and the service module that houses all the instrument's acquisition, processing, and control electronics. This stage, carried out at the facilities of the aerospace company OHB in Germany, marks a fundamental step toward the launch scheduled for December 2026 from French Guiana aboard an Ariane 6 rocket. “Almost eight years after ESA gave the