This week, scientists announced the discovery of a nearby “Super Earth“It can support life, and it is called the ‘aquatic world’.”
the team, Led by the University of MontrealObservations from NASA’s Transiting Satellite were used to survey the exoplanets (he-goat), as well as telescopes on the ground to detect extrasolar planet, which is described as potentially rocky as Earth, but larger. Dubbed TOI-1452 b, it orbits a red dwarf star about 100 light-years from our planet, which scientists say is “fairly close.”
Scientists have long theorized for the possibility of other oceanic planets, but it has been difficult to confirm. TOI-1452 b is about 70% larger than Earth and about five times its size, which is consistent with an extremely deep ocean – but more research is still needed.
NASA says A planet could also be a massive rock with little or no atmosphere – or even a rocky planet with an atmosphere made up of hydrogen or helium.
Benoît Gougeon, University of Montreal
A year on TOI-1452 b takes just 11 days, but it gets a similar amount of light from its smaller, cooler star as Venus from the Sun. Despite the proximity of its orbit, it is located in the “habitable zone”, which means that it may have very desirable liquid water on its surface.
If this “unique” exoplanet is confirmed to be a water world, its circumference will be much deeper than that of the Earth. While our planet is made up of 70% water, the oceans account for less than 1% of the planet’s mass – while water on TOI-1452 b can make up as much as 30% of its mass, according to one simulation.
“TOI-1452 b is one of the best candidates for the ocean planet we’ve discovered so far,” he said. study leadership Charles Dio. “Its radius and mass indicate a much lower density than one would expect for a planet composed primarily of metal and rock, such as Earth.”
If this simulation is accurate, it would make the planet similar to the watery moons in our solar system, like Jupiter Ganymede and Callisto, which scientists believe hide the ocean depths beneath their surfaces.
Benoit Gougeon, University of Montreal.
The James Webb Space Telescope On a mission to understand the origins of our universe, but the researchers say it may take some time on the side to observe TOI-1452 b, which appears “in a stroke of luck” in the Draco constellation, a part of the sky that Webb can see during most times of the year.
“Our observations with the Webb Telescope will be essential to a better understanding of the TOI-1452 b,” said researcher Rene Doyon, who also works with one of the four science instruments of the James Webb Space Telescope. “As soon as possible, we will book time on the web to witness this strange and wonderful world.”
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