Scientists have made a huge step forward by finding a new planetary system close to Earth. This makes them “optimistic” that there are other worlds that could support life.
The Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), a NASA orbiting planet hunter, assisted experts in discovering a star only 33 lightyears away from Earth that is orbited by two terrestrial planets. HD 260655 is the name of the M-dwarf star, while HD 260655b is the name of the inner planet that orbits the star every 2.8 days.
HD 260655c is the name given to the outer planet.
Every 5.7 days, it circles the star.
The planets are among the most closely observed rocky planets outside the Milky Way that scientists can observe orbiting their stars.
Both planets are classified as “super-Earths,” which are terrestrial worlds similar to Earth but larger.
Inner planet is 1.2 times Earth’s diameter, outer planet is 1.5 times.
The new star is smaller than the one in our solar system, yet it is one of the brightest in its class.
The experts are “optimistic” that this is a sign of a habitable world in space, but neither of the two planets in the newly found multiplanet system can support life.
Because they orbit the star at such a close distance, their surfaces are far too hot for liquid to exist.
The inner planet’s surface temperature is estimated to be around 436 degrees Celsius, whereas the outer planet’s temperature is estimated to be around 286 degrees Celsius.
However, MIT physicist Avi Shporer believes that because multiplanetary systems can include up to five or six planets, more planets could be discovered.
According to the expert, “There are many multiplanet systems hosting five or six planets, especially around small stars like this one.
“Hopefully we will find more, and one might be in the habitable zone.”
“That’s optimistic thinking.”
Furthermore, the newly discovered planets may pave the way for even more remarkable advances.
“Both planets in this system are each considered among the best targets for atmospheric study because of the brightness of their star,” noted Michelle Kunimoto, a postdoc at MIT and one of the primary scientists who made the discovery.
“Is there a volatile-rich atmosphere around these planets?”
“And are there signs of water or carbon-based species? These planets are fantastic test beds for those explorations.”
TESS is a NASA initiative conducted by MIT that aims to observe the closest and brightest stars in the sky.
Another goal is to look for periodic light dips that could suggest a planet is passing by.
In December, astronomers announced the discovery of a massive exoplanet orbiting a pair of stars so hot and massive that some of their colleagues had doubted the existence of a planet in such a system.
Astronomers using the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope in Chile discovered the massive exoplanet, which is 10 times the size of Jupiter.
This is just one of more than 5,000 exoplanets identified around faraway stars.
Image Credit: Getty
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