Post by Andrei Tchentchik on May 3, 2020 16:56:52 GMT 2
(.#453).- 2 new nearby and potentially habitable super-Earths discovered. 2020.
Two new nearby superhomes and "potentially habitable" discovered.
By: Brice Louvet, science editor
January 17, 2020, 11 h 12 min
A team of astronomers announces the discovery of two new super-lands evolving around nearby stars. According to the researchers, these two worlds are "potentially habitable".
2020 has barely started, but it already looks promising in the field of astrobiology! A few days ago, the TESS satellite indeed succeeded in isolating a new planet of terrestrial size evolving in the habitable zone of its small star, a little more than 100 light years from Earth. Researchers today announce the discovery of two new nearby super-lands. They are prime targets for future habitability studies.
GJ180d, the first of these worlds, evolves around the red dwarf star Gliese 180, 40 light years from Earth. The second, GJ229Ac, revolves around another slightly more distant red dwarf found 59 light years away. These two planets are respectively at least 7.5 and 7.9 times more massive than Earth.
These two exoplanets were discovered using the so-called “radial velocity” method. This involves looking for signs of "wobbling" from nearby stars. In other words, astronomers will notice if they are moving away or closer to Earth. This movement is caused by the presence of one or more planets which exert a slight gravitational influence on their host.
Promising targets
Another important point, it seems that neither of the two worlds is "locked" in its orbit. Many planets found in the habitable zone of red dwarfs show only one face to their star. Consequently, these exoplanets have a very cold permanent “night” side, and a very hot permanent “day” side. It is therefore not the best configuration in terms of habitability. However, this is clearly not the case here.
Credits: Robin Dienel, Carnegie Institution for Science
It is also noted that the more distant of the two (GJ229Ac) evolves in a system in which the host star has a companion: a brown dwarf. These objects are “failed” stars. In other words, they are not massive enough for nuclear reactions to be able to remain in their hearts. That’s why they don’t “shine” like real stars. However, they are at the same time too massive to be considered as planets. A brown dwarf is placed between the two, in a way.
We already know that planets can a priori form around these objects. In 2004, astronomers confirmed the discovery of the very first exoplanet (2M1207 b) orbiting a brown dwarf (2M1207) about 170 light years from Earth. It would now be interesting to study the behavior of a world evolving in a red dwarf - brown dwarf binary system.
F I N .
Two new nearby superhomes and "potentially habitable" discovered.
By: Brice Louvet, science editor
January 17, 2020, 11 h 12 min
A team of astronomers announces the discovery of two new super-lands evolving around nearby stars. According to the researchers, these two worlds are "potentially habitable".
2020 has barely started, but it already looks promising in the field of astrobiology! A few days ago, the TESS satellite indeed succeeded in isolating a new planet of terrestrial size evolving in the habitable zone of its small star, a little more than 100 light years from Earth. Researchers today announce the discovery of two new nearby super-lands. They are prime targets for future habitability studies.
GJ180d, the first of these worlds, evolves around the red dwarf star Gliese 180, 40 light years from Earth. The second, GJ229Ac, revolves around another slightly more distant red dwarf found 59 light years away. These two planets are respectively at least 7.5 and 7.9 times more massive than Earth.
These two exoplanets were discovered using the so-called “radial velocity” method. This involves looking for signs of "wobbling" from nearby stars. In other words, astronomers will notice if they are moving away or closer to Earth. This movement is caused by the presence of one or more planets which exert a slight gravitational influence on their host.
Promising targets
Another important point, it seems that neither of the two worlds is "locked" in its orbit. Many planets found in the habitable zone of red dwarfs show only one face to their star. Consequently, these exoplanets have a very cold permanent “night” side, and a very hot permanent “day” side. It is therefore not the best configuration in terms of habitability. However, this is clearly not the case here.
Credits: Robin Dienel, Carnegie Institution for Science
It is also noted that the more distant of the two (GJ229Ac) evolves in a system in which the host star has a companion: a brown dwarf. These objects are “failed” stars. In other words, they are not massive enough for nuclear reactions to be able to remain in their hearts. That’s why they don’t “shine” like real stars. However, they are at the same time too massive to be considered as planets. A brown dwarf is placed between the two, in a way.
We already know that planets can a priori form around these objects. In 2004, astronomers confirmed the discovery of the very first exoplanet (2M1207 b) orbiting a brown dwarf (2M1207) about 170 light years from Earth. It would now be interesting to study the behavior of a world evolving in a red dwarf - brown dwarf binary system.
F I N .
