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Judi Lynn

(163,734 posts)
1. Volcano-covered world spotted 90 light years from Earth
Mon May 22, 2023, 10:47 PM
May 2023

19 May 2023 / Matthew Ward Agius



LP 791-18 d, illustrated here in an artist's concept, is an Earth-size world about 90 light-years away. The gravitational tug from a more massive planet in the system, shown as a blue disk in the background, may result in internal heating and volcanic eruptions – as much as Jupiter’s moon Io, the most geologically active body in the solar system. Astronomers discovered and studied the planet using data from NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope and TESS (Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite) along with many other observatories. Credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center/Chris Smith (KRBwyle)


A new exoplanet discovered orbiting a small red dwarf star some 90 light-years from Earth might be covered in explosive volcanoes.

The exoplanet – named LP 791-18 d – was discovered by NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope and the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS). It brings the number of known exoplanets orbiting the star LP 791-18 in the Crater constellation to three – two others are known as b and c.

Size-wise, d is slightly larger than the Earth, b would be about 20% bigger, c is a super-Earth, at about 2.5 times the size and seven times the mass of our planet. It’s a size differential that matters because c and d have very close orbits.

When they come near, c’s superior gravitational force tugs at d’s orbit. This, the researchers say, causes a spike in d’s internal friction, heating its interior and leading to widespread volcanic activity across its surface. This could be enough for the planet to sustain an atmosphere, although liquid water on its surface is unlikely.

More:
https://cosmosmagazine.com/space/astronomy/volcano-covered-world-spotted-90-light-years-from-earth/

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