Astronomers in MIT have discovered a multi- planet system just 33 light years away just like ours. We are excited. Read more…..
Highlights
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NASA has discovered a small and cool dwarf star.
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Astronomers of MIT have found that it hosts at least two terrestrial, earth sized planets.
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It is almost 33 light years away.
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It was recorded by NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite(TESS).
A multi- planet system has been found just 33 light years away. They have spotted a new small and cool dwarf star named HD 260655, and it might host at least two terrestrial earth sized planets. These planet’s atmosphere might not be suitable for life as their orbits are tight and expose the planets to extreme temperatures which is too much to sustain liquid surface water.
The inner planet rotates around its star every 2.8 Earth days and is 1.2 times the size of the Earth and twice the mass. The other planet orbits every 5.7 Earth days and is 1.5 times the size and three times the mass. They have both been stated as ‘rocky’.
Multi- planet’s Discoveries
Nonetheless, the scientific community is very excited and hopeful about this discovery as this can help them study how this cosmic neighborhood looks like. They can also study the properties of the planets and signs of atmosphere they hold. If you travel tenth the speed of light, you will reach this star and its planets by 330 years. But this is not possible for obvious reasons.
However, if we use special earth-borne equipment like spectrometers and telescope, then we can learn a clear picture of this cosmic world.
Michelle Kunimoto, a postdoc in MIT’s Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research and one of the discovery’s lead scientist told that both planets are considered among the best targets for meteorological study because of the brightness of their stars. She also told, “Is there an unstable atmosphere around this planet? And are there signs of water and carbon formed species? These planets are fantastic test beds for those exploration”.
The research team will present their discoveries at the meeting of the American astronomical society in Pasadena, California.
To conclude, this is a great discovery for us as we will get to know more about our universe and the milky-way galaxy. This will help us understand the cosmic world. These findings of NASA, when studied further, can help us understand more about stars, their planets and their atmosphere and we are all excited for it.
