Kepler-138d tagged posts

Astronomers find that Two Exoplanets may be Mostly Water

Artistic representation of the planetary system of the star Kepler-138. We see Kepler-138 d in the foreground, and closer to the star, Kepler-138 c. These two planets are probably composed mainly of water. The small planet Kepler-138 b is seen transiting in front of the star. A fourth planet, Kepler-138 e, is further away and not visible in the image.
Artistic representation of the planetary system of the star Kepler-138. We see Kepler-138 d in the foreground, and closer to the star, Kepler-138 c. These two planets are probably composed mainly of water. The small planet Kepler-138 b is seen transiting in front of the star. A fourth planet, Kepler-138 e, is further away and not visible in the image.
CREDIT: STSCI.

A team led by UdeM astronomers has found evidence that two exoplanets orbiting a red dwarf star are “water worlds,” planets where water makes up a large fraction of the volume. These worlds, located in a planetary system 218 light-years away in the constellation Lyra, are unlike any planets found in our solar system.

The team, led by PhD student Caroline Piaulet of the Trottier Institute for Research on Exoplanets (iREx) ...

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