2023-05-19 13:37:57
This is a translation of a CTV News article.
And this is the discovery of Canadian astronomers.
“We were extremely excited regarding it,” Björn Benneke, head of the astronomy division in the physics department at the University of Montreal, told CTV National News.
He explains that when his team discovered the planet, they were very happy to have made a discovery that no one else had done before.
“My students and I were the only ones in the world who knew regarding this other Earth that is out there that might potentially be a game changer in terms of our understanding of these planets, or our understanding of the solar system, so it was a huge moment. .”
Also to read:
An exoplanet is a term for a planet that exists in solar systems outside our own. Scientists have been looking increasingly for years for exoplanets that might potentially harbor life, but it is still rare to find any that meet certain parameters.
“What’s particularly exciting regarding these Earth-sized planets, these temperate planets where the temperatures are quite similar to Earth’s, is that these are the ones we’ll be looking to study to find life in the future, so this one here is a potential candidate,” Benneke said.
Some of the key factors astronomers look for are planets similar in size to Earth, orbiting their star at a distance neither too far nor too close, i.e. inside the ” habitable zone” of temperature which might allow the formation of liquid water on the surface of the planet.
This new planet fulfills these criteria, but it also has unique properties that have scientists excited.
A volcanic planet
Benneke’s team is dedicated to finding Earth-like exoplanets and mapping the diversity of their atmospheres and compositions.
They discovered this new planet using NASA’s satellite, called TESS (Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite).
It works by detecting slight dips in brightness as the planet passes in front of its star, blocking out some of the light. TESS is able to spot these variations in brightness and map planetary transits to confirm the presence of a planet.
The team also used data from the space telescope Spitzernow retired, only to discover that this planet might potentially harbor life.
“It has very, very similar properties to Earth. It’s the same size, similar mass, and temperature-wise it’s relatively comparable, at least globally,” Benneke explained. “But there are also some differences.”
One of these differences is that this planet, which orbits a star much smaller than ours, does not rotate like Earth. Instead, it’s locked in its orbit around its star, similar to how the moon orbits Earth.
“That means the same side of the planet is always facing the star,” Benneke added. “It’s a side where daylight is permanent.”
The planet is officially referred to as LP 791-18dbut it has another name: Reykjaviktaken from the capital of Iceland.
The nickname comes from the team’s theories regarding the composition of the planet.
They think it might experience volcanic eruptions as frequent as the moon lo the most volcanically active in our solar system, which orbits around Jupiter.
“Volcanoes are exciting because they bring elements to the surface of the planet that might form the building blocks of life,” CTV science and technology specialist Dan Riskin told CTV National News. “So whenever there’s a volcano, people get excited.”
How do scientists know that this planet is likely to have significant volcanic activity? Because they have been studying this system for some time.
Other similar planets
LP 791-18d isn’t the only planet orbiting this particular stellar dwarf. Two other planets were previously discovered by TESS in 2019, known as LP 791-18 b et c.
This new planet orbits between the other two, at an intermediate distance from the star, while Planet c – which is regarding 2.5 times larger than the Earth – the farthest orbit of the star. However, by following the movements of these planets, astronomers realized that the Planet c passed very close to the new planet, so close that the gravity of the larger planet is certainly impacting the smaller one.
Each time the larger planet passes near LP 791-18d, it attracts the smaller planet, distorting it slightly in a process called tidal heating.
“The significant friction generated by the heating of the tides in the planet is responsible for the considerable heating of its interior, ultimately allowing the existence of an ocean of subterranean magma”, mentioned Caroline Piaulet, a doctoral student from the UdeM which participated in the discovery, in a press release. “In our solar system, we know that the moon Io of Jupiter is affected by Jupiter and its other moons in a similar way, and this world is the most volcanic that we know.
The permanent night side of the planet is where astronomers think water might form. With ice, water and volcanoes, researchers liken it to Iceland, hence the nickname.
TO SEE | Artemis II: Proof Canada ‘can do great things,’ says Jeremy Hansen
While TESS continues to search for signs of planets, new worlds or exoplanets, the team hopes to be able to observe more closely this new exoplanet in particular thanks to the James Webb telescope, the largest and most advanced ever built.
“Once James Webb pays attention to him, we’ll have a much better view,” Riskin added. “Right now it’s mostly speculation regarding what might be there, but we’ll soon be able to observe up close with this new telescope and it will be worth it.”
Since the planet’s star is so small, a bit larger than Jupiter, the researchers believe the James Webb Telescope should be able to actually see the planet’s atmosphere.
Scientists have already secured observing time with the James Webb Telescope for the largest planet, Planet cwhich will shed more light on the system.
“Everyone thinks of NASA when it comes to space science, but here you have Canadian researchers, a Canadian university,” concluded Riskin. “And finally, it is the James Webb telescope, which is partly Canadian, which will observe it more closely. Canada can therefore be very proud.”
1684507067
#Canadian #astronomers #discover #Earth #covered #volcanoes
