1. Illustration of WASP-18
The artist's illustration depicts a star and its planet, WASP-18b, a giant exoplanet that orbits very close to it. A new study using Chandra data has shown that WASP-18b is making the star that it orbits act much older than it actually is.
(Credit: Illustration: NASA/CXC/M.Weiss)

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2. Illustration of HD 189733
Using Chandra and XMM-Newton, astronomers have detected an exoplanet passing in front of its parent star for the first time in X-rays. The artist's illustration shows HD 189733b, a "hot Jupiter" that goes around its star once every 2.2 days. The illustration also reveals the presence of a faint red companion star in the system. The new X-ray observations suggest that HD 189733b has a larger atmosphere than implied by previous optical studies. HD 189733b is the closest hot Jupiter to Earth, making it a prime target for astronomers who want to learn more about this type of exoplanet and the atmosphere around it.
(Credit: NASA/CXC/M.Weiss)

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3. Illustration of CoRoT-2A System
This artist's representation shows the CoRoT-2 system, which is found about 880 light years from Earth. The system, which is estimated to be between 100 and 300 million years old, contains a star and a planet in close orbit around it. The separation between the star and the planet is only three percent of the distance between the Earth and the Sun, causing some exotic effects not seen in our solar system. The illustration shows the material, in blue, being stripped off the planet as X-rays from the star pummel the planet.
(Credit: NASA/CXC/M.Weis)

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