Space amazes everyone…discovery of Earth-sized volcanic planet outside the solar system
Astronomers have discovered an Earth-sized exoplanet believed to be covered in volcanoes.
According to CNN, the newly discovered exoplanet named “LP 791-18T,” which translates to “turkey rush,” may be covered in volcanoes.
It has been observed that the planet in question may experience volcanic eruptions similar to Jupiter’s satellite Io, the most volcanically active celestial body in the Solar System.
In a NASA statement, the exoplanet discovery was announced as the result of an evaluation of data from the Transiting Exoplanet Research Satellite (TESS), the now-defunct Spitzer Space Telescope, and ground-based telescopes.
The discovered exoplanet is about 90 light-years away from Earth, orbiting a red dwarf star and located in a crater.
Volcanic activity is affected by the gravitational pull of another planet in orbit
One of the planets in question, the dwarf star LP 791-18 b, is orbited by two other planets, LP 791-18 c is 20 percent larger than Earth and LP 791-18 c is 2.5 times larger, according to the report. Earth but has the same mass as Earth. It is seven times larger.
Astronomers believe that the giant planet “LP 791-18 c” may influence the volcanic activity of exoplanets.
As both celestial bodies orbit the dwarf star, the larger planet’s gravitational pull alters LP 791-18 d’s orbit as the planets approach.
Each rotation around the star makes the exoplanet’s orbit more elliptical, leading to a warming of the planet’s interior and increased volcanic activity. The same is thought to happen to Io, trapped in the gravitational pull between Jupiter and its larger moons.
The discovered planet may be covered in volcanoes like Io
Ian Crossfield, a lecturer in physics and astronomy at the University of Kansas and co-author of the study, said:
I don’t know if there are any volcanoes on this planet. We know that “LP 791-18 d” is a minor planet that suffers from periodic variations in its orbit as it orbits its star and other nearby planets.
This could create a situation similar to Jupiter’s moon Io, the most volcanically active celestial body in our solar system. We know this because we sent spacecraft and took pictures near Io.
Scientists are said to be estimating the distance of the newly discovered exoplanet to its star from the inner edge of its habitable zone, which provides the temperature to support water on the planet’s surface.
“Only one side of LP 791-18 d faces its star,” said Björn Benek, a lecturer in astronomy at the University of Montreal’s Trottier Institute for Exoplanet Studies and co-author of the study.
The day side is probably too warm for liquid water to exist on the surface. But volcanic activity, which we suspect is happening all over the planet, can create an atmosphere that allows water to condense at night.
It has been suggested that volcanic activity may actually help maintain the planet’s atmosphere, although it may appear to be a barrier to water and life.
Jesse Christianson, a research fellow at NASA’s Exoplanet Science Institute in California and co-author of the study, noted:
In astrophysics, which studies the possible origin of life on Earth or in other celestial bodies, the big question is whether tectonic or volcanic activity is necessary for life.
In addition to saving the atmosphere, these activities can prevent substances we think are vital to life, such as carbon, from getting trapped in the crust and provide benefits by stirring them up.
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