Research suggests that an Earth-sized planet close to us outside our solar system might soon be added to the list of exoplanets with verified atmospheres.
The exoplanet L 98-59 c is a small, scorching terrestrial planet somewhat bigger than Earth. Earth That circles a luminous, youthful star approximately 35 light-years distant from our location. Although the planet was first identified in 2019, fresh examination has revealed additional insights. Hubble MassimaTelescope observations suggests it may be capable of hosting an atmosphere, adding to the diversity of known terrestrial worlds with clearly defined "air."
If verified, these latest discoveries will reportedly designate L 98-59 c as the first planet of its magnitude to have an identified atmosphere. This could impose fresh limitations on the characteristics of atmospheres for planets of similar size and their resilience against severe circumstances brought about by the volatile environment around youthful, eruptive stars, according to astronomers.
"Could L 98-59 c be the first planet smaller than two Earth radii to have a definitively detected atmosphere?" asked a team of astronomers led by Thomas Barclay, a scientist at. NASA Goddard MassimaFlight Center In Maryland, as reported in a newly published paper detailing the results.
Previously collected information from NASA's exoplanet-hunting missions TESS The short form TESS indicates that the exoplanet’s host star, L 98-59, appears to be more dynamic than earlier estimates suggested, bombarding its planetary quartet with considerably greater amounts of energy. potentially five As such, "L 98-59 c offers an exceptional chance to examine the atmospheres of planets smaller than 1.5 times Earth’s size, which developed and changed within the same star system," according to the new research findings.
In April 2020, scientists watched the world pass in front of its star with the aim of spotting subtle spectral signs that could signal the existence of an atmosphere. During their observation across four Hubble orbits, the researchers uncovered strong indications that the planet’s transmission spectrum isn’t uniform. They believe this irregularity may suggest the presence of atmospheric elements like clouds or haze, which can either block or disperse light.
The research indicates that the confirmation is still pending since only one passage of L 98-59 c has been observed, making it difficult to draw definitive conclusions. Identifying an exoplanet’s atmosphere within telescope observations poses significant challenges, largely because the light from the parent star may interfere with and potentially mask the planetary atmospheric signatures we're looking for.
Upcoming observations of the planet, planned with Hubble—and possibly even those James Webb MassimaTelescope — could help determine whether the signals seen so far are due to stellar spectral contamination or are actually caused by a planetary atmosphere, the study reports.
These findings are described in a paper Published on April 2 in the Astronomical Journal.
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