Team Astronomers from the University of Montreal have discovered a modern potentially included exoplanet Red dwarf Star L 98-59, 35 airy years from the ground. This discovery means that there are now five confirmed planets in this solar system “Moderate” or “residential” zoneA region in a solar system, in which liquid water can exist on the surfaces of the planets.
The newly discovered planet, called “L 98-59 F”, managed to avoid previous observations, because it does not pass between Earth and its star when it orbits, known as a “passage”. The planets that the host’s stars transport are easier to detect, because the mini-eekites they create when they pass through the face of their stars can see telescopes.
. tests Announcement of the discovery of the planet – which is awaiting publication in The Astronomical Journal– the planet looked through the subtle varieties of the host star movement. Planets orbiting stars exert the gravitational attraction of the host during the orbit, slightly moving the position of the star. These movements can reveal the presence of planets, even if they cannot be seen.
Revealing movements L 98-59 were picked up by two instruments specially designed for planet hunting: high precise Harf spectrographinstalled in the European telescope of the South Observatory (ESO) and Espresso rocky exoplanet spectrographwhich is part of a very immense telescope (VLT) at Paranal Observatory ESO in Chile.
Comparison of the position of five exoplanets L 98-59 with the first three planets of our solar system, according to the amount of solar energy obtained.Thanks to the kindness of Father Derangeon/European Southern Observatory
L 98-59 F stands out from other planets in its solar system because it receives a similar amount of solar energy to the ground. According to researchers from Montreal, if it has the right atmosphere, it can be a moderate planet capable of stopping liquid water on its surface.
In addition to the presence of liquid water, the residential zone of the Solar System is a region in which potentially planetary conditions can allow the development of life. Each star has its own residence zone, determined by its type and amount of energy it emits.
Stars System L 98-59 gradually attracts the attention of astronomy enthusiasts. Each confirmed exoplanet is as intriguing as the rest, and they are all in the bands. The planet closest to the star is half of the Venus mass, but 85 percent of the size of the earth. The second is almost 2.5 times more massive than our planet. The third can be 30 percent ocean. Little is known about the fourth, except that it is also “Super-ground”– The term used to describe planets larger than our own, but smaller than the ice giants of our solar system.
For now, there is no image L 98-59 f. The next step will be to utilize the advanced Space Telescope technology James Webb to try to capture its direct image.
“These results confirm L 98-59 as one of the most convincing nearby systems to discover the diversity of rocky planets, and ultimately seeking signs of life,” says a statement Issued by the University of Montreal.
There is only one other known star-like system similar in the complexity and the number of exoplanets: TRAPPIST-1, i.e. 39 airy years from Earth. It is an ultra -packet star of dwarf with at least seven rocky exoplanets, three of which are in the region of residence.
This story originally appeared Wired in Spanish and was translated from Spanish.