2024-08-05 06:00:15
A celestial mosaic of 126 exotic worlds has been revealed by a collaboration between NASA’s TESS satellite and the Keck Observatory in Hawaii. The new data enriches our understanding of planets beyond our Solar systemcomparing these worlds to the one we inhabit.
Credit: WM Keck Observatory/Adam Makarenko
This study, conducted by an international team of scientists, uses data from the TESS satellite and the Keck Observatory to measure the mass and density of these planets. The results were published in The Astrophysical Journal Supplement. For the first time, the mass and radius of 120 confirmed planets and six candidates have been measured, revealing information about their composition and formation. Stephen Kane, an astrophysicist at the University of California, Riverside, points out that these data help place our solar system in the broader context of other planetary systems.
Radial velocity (RV) analysis has made it possible to detect these planets by observing the “swing” of their host stars. These variations in starlight are comparable to the sound Doppler effect.
Among the discoveries, some planets, such as TOI-1386 b, provide new insights into “sub-Saturns,” worlds between Neptune and Saturn. The diversity of planet sizes and orbits raises questions about the uniqueness of our own system.
Another study describes a Neptune-sized planet orbiting a Sun-like star every 19 days. These findings are a reminder of the diversity of theUniverse and the rarity of our planetary systemunderlines Daria Pidhorodetska, lead author of this study.
Planets with ultra-short orbits and extreme environments, such as TOI-1798 c, complete this celestial panorama. This planet, located very close to its orange dwarf star, orbits in less than 12 Earth hours, receiving intense irradiation that has probably eliminated any initial atmosphere.
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