2024-03-14 09:18:56
Outside our solar system, about 70 light-years away, there is a planet that may be entirely covered in water. However, the ocean here may be far different from the oceans we know on Earth. Astronomers from the University of Cambridge have used data from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) to reveal the planet’s secrets, with the results published in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics.
Their focus is on the TOI-270 system, a system composed of a red dwarf star and three exoplanets. They analyzed data from TOI-270 d, a planet described as a mini-Neptune because it is composed of gas.
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Research suggests the planet may be a “Neptunian world” – a planet with a large ocean and a hydrogen-rich atmosphere. Moreover, scientists have calculated that its surface temperature may be as high as 100 degrees Celsius, equivalent to the temperature of boiling water.
However, the interpretation of these data is not without controversy. Other scientists’ findings on the planet differ, suggesting that the planet actually has a rocky surface covered by a very dense atmosphere composed of superheated steam and hydrogen. “In our opinion, the temperature here is too high to keep water liquid,” said Bjorn, a professor of astrophysics at the University of Montreal.
The surface is completely surrounded by boiling water
Advertisement (Please continue reading this article) Artist’s rendering of the James Webb Space Telescope. Image source: NASA
Whatever the truth, the fact that we are now able to capture chemical signatures from distant planets beyond Earth is an amazing advance. Since the discovery of the first exoplanet in 1992, the number of exoplanets we have discovered has grown into the thousands.
These latest observations demonstrate the amazing insights the James Webb Telescope has given us into the nature of extrasolar planets. The telescope captured the light of stars filtering through the atmospheres of orbiting planets, providing a detailed analysis of chemical elements. This allows astronomers to build a picture of the conditions on a planet’s surface, and the likelihood of life.
Whether TOI-270 d is really a “Neptune World” remains to be determined by further research and observation. But in any case, this discovery brings new hope for us to find planets suitable for life beyond the earth. Perhaps we will find another home like Earth among the many planets.
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First picture source: Amanda Smith/PA cc By4.0
Image source: NASA cc By4.0
Reference papers:
1.Possible Hycean conditions in the sub-Neptune TOI-270 d journal Astronomy & Astrophysics
Further reading:
1.Seasonal changes are not unique to Earth: seasons on other planets look very different
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