TESS tagged posts

Formation of Super-Earths is Limited Near Metal-Poor Stars – New study may help the search for life beyond Earth

In a new study, astronomers report novel evidence regarding the limits of planet formation, finding that after a certain point, planets larger than Earth have difficulty forming near low-metallicity stars.

Using the sun as a baseline, astronomers can measure when a star formed by determining its metallicity, or the level of heavy elements present within it. Metal-rich stars or nebulas formed relatively recently, while metal-poor objects were likely present during the early universe.

Previous studies found a weak connection between metallicity rates and planet formation, noting that as a star’s metallicity goes down, so, too, does planet formation for certain planet populations, like sub-Saturns or sub-Neptunes.

Yet this work is the first to observe that under current theories...

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Astronomers find Surprising Ice World in the Habitable Zone with JWST data

Temperate exoplanet LHS 1140 b may be a world completely covered in ice (left) similar to Jupiter’s moon Europa or be an ice world with a liquid substellar ocean and a cloudy atmosphere (centre). LHS 1140 b is 1.7 times the size of our planet Earth (right) and is the most promising habitable zone exoplanet yet in our search for liquid water beyond the Solar System. Image credit: B. Gougeon/Université de Montréal

A team of astronomers has identified a temperate exoplanet as a promising super-Earth ice or water world.

The findings, led by Université de Montréal, show that the habitable zone exoplanet, LHS 1140 b, is not likely a mini-Neptune, a small so-called gas giant—large planets composed mostly of gas—with a thick hydrogen-rich atmosphere...

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TOI-1685 b is a Hot and Rocky Super-Earth Exoplanet, Observations find

TOI-1685 b is a hot and rocky super-Earth exoplanet, observations find
Best fit SED for TOI-1685 from VOSA. Colored points are photometric magnitudes from the Gaia, 2Mass, and WISE surveys, and magnitudes synthesized from spectrophotometrically calibrated Gaia DR3 Bp/Rp spectra into the photometric system of the OAJ JPAS and JPLUS surveys. Gray line depicts the model flux measurements. Credit: arXiv (2024). DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.2405.14895

An international team of astronomers has performed follow-up observations of a nearby alien world known as TOI-1685 b. Results of the observations, published May 21 on the pre-print server arXiv, indicate that TOI-1685 b is a hot and rocky alien world with an Earth-like density.

The so-called “super-Earths” are planets more massive than Earth but not exceeding the mass of Neptune...

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Citizen Scientists help Discover Record-Breaking Exoplanet in Binary Star System

Citizen scientists help discover record-breaking exoplanet in binary star system
An artist’s interpretation of TOI 4633 c, a Neptune-like exoplanet found orbiting the habitable zone of a sunlike star. The system contains a second star (right) and may also host another exoplanet (left). Credit: Ed Bell for the Simons Foundation

A team of astronomers and citizen scientists has discovered a planet in the habitable zone of an unusual star system, including two stars and potentially another exoplanet.

The planet hunters spotted the Neptune-like planet as it crossed in front of its host star, temporarily dimming the star’s light in a way akin to a solar eclipse on Earth...

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