Astronomers have discovered well over 4,000 exoplanets using instruments such as the expensive Kepler Space Telescope and the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS). The latter mission has just discovered another planet, but this one is a little unusual.
According to a new study in the journal Science, the planet known as GJ 367 b seems to be composed almost exclusively of super-hot iron. This molten world may in the near future help us understand some confusing aspects of our own solar system.
GJ 367 b orbits a red dwarf star 31 light-years away from Earth. Like Kepler, TESS is not designed to directly image exoplanets – it is still impossible with current technology in all but a few cases. TESS observes large starfish in search of attenuating events that could be the result of a planet passing in front of a star. With repeated observations, it is possible to identify an exoplanet’s size, location, and even some elements of its composition.
In the case of GJ 367 b, astronomers believe that its high density may mean that it is analogous to the planet Mercury, which is rich in iron. These types of stars are smaller and cooler than our sun, but the GJ 367 b orbits very closely and completes one revolution every 7.7 hours. Astronomers estimate that the surface temperature of the alien world is 1500 degrees Celsius (about 2700 degrees Fahrenheit). It is close to the melting point of iron, ensuring that the planet’s surface is completely inhospitable.
The planet Mercury has more iron content than the other inner planets, and no one knows why.
According to the team of international researchers who analyzed the TESS data, it is unlikely that GJ 367 b was formed at its current location. The temperatures are so high that the original space debris would not have been able to stick together. So the planet may have formed somewhere else and migrated inward. Understanding where it came from could help us puzzle out Mercury’s history. At this time, scientists do not know why Mercury is so much richer in iron than the other inner planets. Some believe that Mercury was struck by a large object in the distant past that blew most of its crust away, leaving an iron core with a thin layer of rock.
The latest discovery of exoplanets offers fascinating evidence, but it will not definitively answer any questions until we can get a better look at it. Its location, just 31 light-years away, is close to the universe’s grand scheme. Astronomers believe that the upcoming James Webb Space Telescope may be able to image the planet from its vantage point on the other side of the moon. NASA plans to launch Webb later this month after years of delays.
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