Astronomers discover ‘intermediate’ exoplanet 138 light years away that may be filled with water and is changing.
According to a study published above arXivthe new planet is called HD207496b turn around dwarf star HD-207496 with an orbital period of only 6.44 days. It has a radius 2.25 times greater and a mass 6.1 times greater than Earth, Scientific alert reported on March 13.
Simulation of an exoplanet filled with water on the surface.
Simulation of an exoplanet filled with water on the surface. (Photo: Darryl Fonseka).
Astronomers found HD 207496b by Telescope for the Study of Transiting Exoplanets (TESS) from NASA, then use it High Precision Radial Velocity Planet Finder (HARPS) on the 3.6m telescope at the La Silla Observatory in Chile for a closer look.
They found that this exoplanet has a density of about 3.27 g/cm3, average compared to gas planets like Neptune (1.64 g/cm3) and rocky planets like Earth (5.51 grams/cm3) . This shows that HD 207496b is not completely rock.
“HD-207496b has a significantly lower density than Earth and so we expect it to contain large amounts of water, or gas, or both in its composition”the research team wrote in the report. “By modeling the internal structure, we concluded that this planet has a water-rich crust, a gas-rich crust, or a mixture of both.”
Simulation of HD-207496b whose gaseous shell was carried away by the host star. (Photo: ESA/NASA).
Evaporation models reveal that while HD-207496b has an atmosphere rich in hydrogen and helium, this state is only temporary, as would its host star. “complete transformation” exoplanet within 520 million years. It is also possible that HD-207496b’s atmosphere has completely disappeared and HD-207496b is now a bare ocean world.
The host star HD-207496 is relatively young, estimated to be only a few hundred million years old, meaning it represents a rare opportunity to study an exoplanet in its early stages before transitioning to a super-Earth.
In the next phase of research, astronomers want to better characterize HD-207496b’s atmosphere, if any. This could reveal the true nature and ultimate fate of this mysterious world.
Article source: VnExpress
If there is an error in the article Found a planet that could be an ocean world, or if the content is incorrect, please contact us so we can correct it.
Keyword:
Astronomers discover an “intermediate” exoplanet 138 light years away that may be filled with water and is mutating. Based on research…
