They discover two super-Earths 137 light years from the Sun, can they harbor life?
An impressive discovery stole all the attention of astronomers and it is two exoplanets which orbit around a white dwarf star you are alone 137 light years far from our sun. For this brilliant discovery, the spatial photometry method was used by the Transiting exoplanet study satellite designed by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). In addition to having the support of a telescope from the Ibservatorio de Calar Alto in Almeria, Spain. The information was leaked in an article published by preprint service arXiv, which details that the stellar body in charge of these two masterpieces, This is TOI-2095.
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Who are the “new” celestial bodies?
The group of astronomers internationals explained that “new” the planets are: TOI-2095 by TOI-2095 c. Both have been classified as “super-earths”, Since its size exceeds 1 and 10 times there mass of our earth, in addition to having between 1 and 4 terrestrial radii.
Characteristics of new exoplanets
In the case of TOI-2095b, it has been estimated that it does not exceed 4.1 land masses and which has an orbital period of 17.66 days. This means that he is closest to your mother star, with an estimated distance of 0.1 astronomical units (AU). Likewise, it has been determined that it is 25 percent larger than the To land, since it has 1.25 terrestrial radii and an equilibrium temperature of 73.85 degrees Celsius.
At the same time, the other planet named TOI-2095c it has been calculated that it has 7.1 land masses and orbits its host star each 28.17 days which implies that it is at a distance of about 0.137 AU. In addition to this, it is believed to have a size of 1.33 Earth radii and its equilibrium temperature is 23.85°C.
And the star?
Well, according to the study, the sun TOI-2095 it’s a red dwarf star of spectral class M2.5 V, which is 56 percent smaller and less massive as our central star. He also has a temperature efficient of 3,485 degrees Celsius, an estimated age of billions of yearss and a metallicity —that is, an abundance of iron and hydrogen—of -0.24. It should be noted that the researchers also clarified that the discovery of the two exoplanets around TOI-2095 the method was used photometry the space of the satellite Transiting Exoplanet Survey (TESS).
the test was designed by the JAR look for objects extrasolar in transit, through the study of approximately 200 thousand celestial bodies near the Sun. So far they have been identified 6 thousand 400 exoplanets candidates, of whom only 330 have been confirmed. They were also used high resolution pictures based on To land, In addition to using data such as radial speeds derived from CARMENES spectrograph — which was installed in the telescope of 3.5 meters of Calar Alto Observatory in the Spanish municipality of Almeria—.
According to scientists, this was done to “throw scenarios of false positives, measure the planetary radii and establish hard upper limits in the mass of candidates in transit”. Likewise, experts point out that newly discovered exoplanets are near the inside edge of the habitable zone of TOI-2095, so their parameters make them important goals for the future follow-up observations.
Webb finds water vapor, but from a rocky planet or its star?
The most common stars in the universe are red dwarf stars which means they are more likely to be found exoplanets rocky orbiting such a star. These are cold, For what a planet he must “kiss them” in orbit near keep warm enough as for liquid water. This implies that it is in a habitable zone. Notably these stars Also they are active. Especially only when they are young and emit radiation ultraviolet and x-rays that he could destroy planetary atmospheres. Accordingly, an important open question in astronomy is yes a rocky planet could retain or reset an atmosphere in one such a harsh environment
To help answer this question, astronomers they used the NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope study a rocky exoplanet known as GJ 486 b. It meets all of the above characteristics, is in a habitable zone, and has a surface temperature of approximately 800 degrees Fahrenheit either 430 degrees Celsius. After observations with spectrograph of infrared —NIRspec— were detected traces of water vapour. If they are related to the planet, this would indicate that it has an atmosphere despite its scorching temperature and its close to its star.
Water vapor has already been seen in gaseous exoplanets, but to date none have been definitively detected around these specimens. However, the team warned that its origin could also be in the star itself specifically in cold star spots, and not at all from the planet.
“We’re seeing a signal, and it’s almost certainly due to the water. But we can’t tell yet if this water is part of the planet’s atmosphere, which means the planet has an atmosphere, or if we’re just seeing a signature of water coming from the star,” Sarah said. Moran of the University of Arizona in Tucson, lead author of the study.
He explained that water vapour in the atmosphere of a rocky planet and hot, that would represent a great advance for the science of exoplanets. “But we must have meticulous and make sure the star isn’t to blame.” added Kevin Stevenson, from the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Maryland, the program’s principal investigator.
What is the planet with a possible atmosphere?
appointed GJ 486b is about one 30 percent larger This To land And three times more massive, which means it is a rocky world with a gravity stronger than our planet. turn around the red dwarf star in just under 1.5 Earth days and we expect that is locked at tide, with one side permanent day and one permanent night side. Likewise, he spends his Sun crossed by before Since Our point of view and if it has an atmosphere, then when it transits, stars light would flee through these gases, impression fingerprints in the light that allow astronomers decode its composition using a technique called transmission spectroscopy.
Future observations of Webb they will be able to throw more on this system. The idea is to use the mid-infrared instrument (MIRI) observe the day side of the planet. if the planet There is no atmosphere or just one tenuous atmosphere, it is expected that the hottest part day side is directly under the star. However, if the hottest point is displaced, that would indicate an atmosphere what you can do circulate the heat Ultimately, observations will be needed in lengths of infrared wave shorter by another Webb instrument, the near infrared imager and the spectrograph without slit (NIRISS).
“It’s about putting together several instruments that will really determine whether or not this planet has an atmosphere,” Stevenson said.
Source: El Heraldo De Mexico
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