This "super-Earth" with a scorching hot surface has only existed in space for half a day?

This super-Earth exoplanet with a fiery surface is the largest exoplanet ever discovered. Researchers discovered this fantastic world using the transit method.

(Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech)

As astronomers learn more about distant planets, or exoplanets, they also have a better understanding of how Earth-like planets appear around other star systems. At the same time, they occasionally discover some strange planets during their research and investigations. For example, a newly discovered planet has been in a molten state for a "year", but it has only existed in space for half a day.

The discovery, dubbed TOI-1075 b, was made by NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite spacecraft, which is four years into its mission and has sent back data showing that TOI-1075 b is scorching hot, with temperatures of about 1,922 degrees Fahrenheit (1,050 degrees Celsius). These extreme conditions are due to the planet's close proximity to its tiny, orange-red parent star, which is about 200 light-years from Earth. But in addition to its scorching heat and extremely short orbit (one orbit in just 14.5 hours), the planet is incredible for another main reason: It's one of the largest in its class.

"The new data show that TOI-1075 b is the largest super-Earth yet discovered," NASA officials wrote in a discovery statement on November 8, 2022.

Researchers often label exoplanets using descriptors that compare distant worlds to those closer to Earth. For example, gas giant planets that orbit close to their parent stars are called "hot Jupiters."

Astronomers believe that although super-Earths are not found in the solar system, they are particularly common in the Milky Way, which is why they have attracted the attention of astronomers.

However, if TOI-1075 b were closer to Earth, people could visit it and find that they would triple their weight on the planet's surface, because TOI-1075 b is almost 10 times more massive than Earth.

Researchers discovered the planet using TESS's transit method. To detect distant objects like TOI-1075 b, the spacecraft scans the night sky to capture signals of changes in the brightness of planets. If a planet's light flickers, it could mean an exoplanet is out there. This is because every time a planet orbits its parent star and passes in front of Earth, part of the star's light is blocked by the planet.

This technology enabled the TESS spacecraft to discover its 5,000th exoplanet candidate during its mission, a milestone TESS reached earlier this year.

Every discovery has its value. NASA believes that TOI-1075 b in particular will help scientists fine-tune models of planet formation. "In turn, this will help scientists predict the types of atmospheres that super-Earths and other planet types have, or whether these planets have atmospheres at all."

Related knowledge

Earth is the third planet from the inner solar system among all known life forms in the universe. There is a lot of water in the entire solar system, but only Earth can retain this liquid surface water. 70.8% of the Earth's surface is made up of ocean, including the Earth's polar ice, lakes and rivers. The remaining 29.2% of the surface is land, including continents and islands. The Earth's surface consists of several slowly moving crustal plates, which collide with each other to form ridges, volcanoes and earthquakes. The Earth's liquid outer core generates an electromagnetic field, which forms a magnetosphere that protects the Earth from the violent impact of the solar wind.

Exoplanets, also known as extrasolar planets, are planets that exist outside our solar system. In 1917, people first discovered possible signs of exoplanets, but they were not confirmed as they are today. The first confirmed detection of an exoplanet was in 1992. In 1988, people first discovered a different planet, and its existence was confirmed in 2003. As of February 2023, 5,307 exoplanets have been confirmed in 3,910 planetary systems, of which 853 have more than one planet. The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is expected to discover more exoplanets and related information, including planetary composition, environmental conditions, and the possibility of life.

The solar system is a planetary system bound together by the gravity of the sun, including the sun and the celestial bodies moving around the sun. Its formation began 4.6 billion years ago with the gravitational collapse of a huge interstellar molecular cloud. Most of the mass of the system is concentrated in the sun, and most of the rest is in Jupiter. Among them, the four inner planets are terrestrial planets, namely Mercury, Jupiter, Earth and Mars, which are mainly composed of rocks and metals. In addition, there are four huge outer planets, which are much larger in size and mass than the terrestrial planets. The two largest ones are Jupiter and Saturn, which are gas giants, mainly composed of hydrogen and helium; the next are Uranus and Neptune, which are ice giants, mainly composed of volatile substances, with a relatively higher melting point than hydrogen and helium. Such substances include water, ammonia, methane, etc. The orbits of the eight planets are all nearly circular, almost on the same plane as the earth's orbit, that is, the ecliptic.

BY:Doris Elin Urrutia

FY:Yohanna

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