Scientists discover an exoplanet with temperatures similar to those on Earth

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June 10, 2021 15:42 GMT

The object, the size of Neptune with a 24-day orbit, is eight times closer to its star than Earth is to the Sun.

Scientists from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and University of New Mexico (USA) Discover A planet outside our solar system is similar to Earth in terms of temperature.

The exoplanet has been named TOI1231 b. It is larger than Earth and smaller than Neptune, located About 90 light years from our planet.

TOI1231 b, a Neptune-sized object with a 24-day orbit, is eight times closer than its star is from Earth to the Sun. However, its star is a red dwarf, which is much cooler and less bright than the star. The sun, which explains why the temperature of the planet is similar to the temperature of our planet despite its proximity to the star.

Its atmosphere has a temperature of about 330 K or . 60°C, making TOI-1231b one of the coldest small exoplanets accessible for atmospheric studies discovered so far. High clouds may be present in the upper atmosphere and possibly evidence of water.

The astronomers used optical data from the Transiting Exoplanet Reconnaissance Satellite (TESS), NASA’s space telescope launched in April 2018. The scientists used a system called the Transit Method to study the properties of exoplanets. The method compares the light that comes from the star to the planet when it enters the line of sight of the star and the telescope.

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During the so-called transit period, the planet interferes with a small part of the star and blocks a certain amount of light from the star. If a planet is large enough, which is true in this case, it blocks more light, making it easier for scientists to study the properties of the planet.

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