Latest news with #RenéDoyon
Yahoo
21 hours ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Scientists find temperate planet in nearby system full of rocky worlds
A tiny red star not far from Earth is turning out to be a heavyweight in the search for rocky worlds. Nestled just 35 light-years away in space, the star L 98-59 is home to a tight-knit pack of exoplanets, including one that now appears to orbit at just the right distance to harbor liquid water. Using data from NASA's TESS space telescope and a pair of high-precision instruments in Chile, scientists led by the Université de Montréal have confirmed a fifth planet in the system — and this one is in the so-called habitable zone. The team thinks it could receive as much warmth from its star as Earth does from the sun. And it's not alone. The L 98-59 system already has a reputation for its wide variety of intriguing exoplanets. "With its diversity of rocky worlds and range of planetary compositions, L 98-59 offers a unique laboratory to address some of the field's most pressing questions," said René Doyon, one of the study's researchers, in a statement. "What are super-Earths and sub-Neptunes made of? Do planets form differently around small stars? Can rocky planets around red dwarfs retain atmospheres over time?" Red dwarf stars like L 98-59, sometimes referred to as M-type stars, are the most ubiquitous kind in the Milky Way, yet nobody knows whether planets closely orbiting them can hold onto atmospheres, Néstor Espinoza, a Space Telescope Science Institute researcher, previously told Mashable. Though these host stars aren't as hot as the sun, nearby worlds would be exposed to their extreme stellar radiation. Most astronomers agree that detecting atmospheres in general is crucial in the search for habitable worlds. NASA has playfully called Earth's own atmosphere its "security blanket": Without it, the type of life flourishing here wouldn't exist. This cocoon holds oxygen in the air and filters out harmful ultraviolet radiation from the sun, all while keeping the world warm. Furthermore, it creates pressure that allows liquid water to pool on the surface. Espinoza is a leader in the new massive James Webb Space Telescope study of rocky worlds, specifically to find out if planets around red dwarfs could have air. The campaign, first reported by Mashable, will take a closer look at a dozen nearby-ish planets outside the solar system over the next two years. One of the exoplanets in the L 98-59 system, located in the constellation Volans, has already gotten a first look from Webb. A separate research team revealed that L 98-59 d, a bit larger and heavier than Earth, could have a sulfur-rich atmosphere that reeks of burnt matches and rotten eggs. Agnibha Banerjee, one of the researchers, said the team will need more observations to confirm those findings. "If these findings can be confirmed and turn out to be true, this planet won't be pleasant on human noses," Banerjee previously told Mashable. "Then again, if a human in the far future were to ever visit, the smell would be the least of their problems — in the midst of crushing pressure, boiling temperatures, and toxic gases." The latest discovery by the Montreal team of a fifth planet, known as L 98-59 f — along with insights into its planetary neighbors — will be presented in a new paper accepted for publication in The Astronomical Journal. "These new results paint the most complete picture we've ever had of the fascinating L 98-59 system," said Charles Cadieux, first author of the paper, in a statement. "It's a powerful demonstration of what we can achieve by combining data from space telescopes and high-precision instruments on Earth, and it gives us key targets for future atmospheric studies with the James Webb Space Telescope." To discover the planet, the scientists didn't need new telescope time. Instead, they used cutting-edge techniques to squeeze more juice out of existing data. For instance, L 98-59 f doesn't cross in front of its star from Earth's point of view, making it invisible to planet-hunting cameras. But researchers were able to detect it through subtle wobbles in the star's motion, caused by the tug of the unseen planet's gravity. By combining and reanalyzing records, they also dramatically improved estimates of the other planets' sizes, weights, and orbits. One planet is smaller and lighter than Earth — a rare confirmed "sub-Earth" — while others show signs of being rich in water or heated by internal volcanic activity like Jupiter's moon Io, thanks to gravitational stretching. Many planet hunters haven't been this optimistic about the search for habitable worlds since the tantalizing TRAPPIST-1 system. "With these new results," said coauthor Alexandrine L'Heureux in a statement, "L 98-59 joins the select group of nearby, compact planetary systems that we hope to understand in greater detail over the coming years." Solve the daily Crossword
NDTV
2 days ago
- Science
- NDTV
Exoplanet 35 Light-Years Away Offers Hope for Life Beyond Earth
A team of scientists has studied the L 98-59 planetary system and confirmed the existence of a fifth planet, named L 98-59 f, in the star's habitable zone. The zone has conditions that could allow liquid water to exist. L 98-59 is a small red dwarf located just 35 light-years from Earth. In 2019, NASA's TESS space telescope found that it hosts three small transiting exoplanets. A fourth planet was revealed through radial velocity measurements with the European Southern Observatory's ESPRESSO spectrograph. Now, the team led by the Trottier Institute for Research on Exoplanets (IREx) at the Universite de Montreal has found a fifth one in the system. "These new results paint the most complete picture we've ever had of the fascinating L 98-59 system," said Cadieux in the press release. "It's a powerful demonstration of what we can achieve by combining data from space telescopes and high-precision instruments on Earth, and it gives us key targets for future atmospheric studies with the James Webb Space Telescope [JWST]." The exoplanet has a minimum mass 2.8 times that of Earth and has been categorised as a super-Earth. L 98-59 f follows an almost perfectly circular orbit around its star, receiving roughly the same amount of stellar energy as Earth. Its location in the habitable zone suggests that liquid water could exist on its surface under suitable atmospheric conditions, making it a potential candidate to support life. If L 98-59 f has an atmosphere, telescopes like the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) may be able to detect water vapour, carbon dioxide or even biosignatures. Cadieux said that the discovery highlights the "diversity of exoplanetary systems" and also "strengthens the case for studying potentially habitable worlds around low-mass stars". "With its diversity of rocky worlds and range of planetary compositions, L 98-59 offers a unique laboratory to address some of the field's most pressing questions: What are super-Earths and sub-Neptunes made of? Do planets form differently around small stars? Can rocky planets around red dwarfs retain atmospheres over time?" René Doyon, co-author of the study, who is a professor at UdeM and the Director of IREx, said. The findings are reported in research that will appear in The Astronomical Journal titled "Detailed Architecture of the L 98-59 System and Confirmation of a Fifth Planet in the Habitable Zone."
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Science
- Daily Mail
Is THIS where aliens are hiding? Scientists discover a 'super–Earth' planet 35 light–years away – and it might have the right conditions to support life
It's one of the biggest unanswered questions in science. Are there aliens out there, and if so, where are they hiding? Now, researchers may have taken a huge step towards answering this question. Using NASA 's TESS space telescope, a team from Trottier Institute for Research on Exoplanets has detected a 'super–Earth' 35 light–years away that might be habitable. The planet, called L 98–59 f, is one of five worlds found orbiting a red dwarf star called L 98–59. However, it is the only one with the right conditions to support life. 'Finding a temperate planet in such a compact system makes this discovery particularly exciting,' said Charles Cadieux, lead author of the study. 'It highlights the remarkable diversity of exoplanetary systems and strengthens the case for studying potentially habitable worlds around low–mass stars.' The planet, called L 98–59 f, is one of five worlds found orbiting a red dwarf star called L 98–59 L 98–59 was first discovered in 2019, and was originally confirmed to have just four planets around it. However, by carefully reanalysing data collected from ground–based and space–based telescopes, the team was able to identify a fifth planet. This planet does not transit its host star – meaning it doesn't pass directly between us and the star. However, its presence was confirmed through subtle variations in the star's motion. The scientists believe the planet receives about the same amount of stellar energy as Earth does from the sun. Excitingly, this places it 'firmly' within the habitable zone – a region where water could remain in liquid form. The new study also sheds light on the four other planets orbiting the star. The innermost planet, L 98–59 b, is about 84 per cent the size of Earth, and about half its mass. Meanwhile, the two inner planets are believed to be similar to Jupiter's moon, Io, with extreme volcanic activity. Finally, the fourth planet may be a 'water world', the experts say. 'With its diversity of rocky worlds and range of planetary compositions, L 98–59 offers a unique laboratory to address some of the field's most pressing questions: What are super–Earths and sub–Neptunes made of?' asked René Doyon, co–author of the study. 'Do planets form differently around small stars? Can rocky planets around red dwarfs retain atmospheres over time?' Having found the fifth planet and learned more about the other four, the team now hopes to use James Webb – NASA's most powerful telescope – to study the star system in more detail. 'With these new results, L 98–59 joins the select group of nearby, compact planetary systems that we hope to understand in greater detail over the coming years,' said Alexandrine L'Heureux, co–author of the study. 'It's exciting to see it stand alongside systems like TRAPPIST–1 in our quest to unlock the nature and formation of small planets orbiting red dwarf stars.' PLANETARY SYSTEM L 98-59 The planetary system and its star - which are only around 35 light years away - are both called L 98-59. The planets in this system are the following, from closest to the star to further away: - L 98-59b: This rocky planet has half the mass of Venus (4.868×1024 kg). It's likely dry, but might have small amounts of water. It's smaller than the Earth but still bigger than Mars. - L 98-59c: Likely dry, but might have small amounts of water - L 98-59d: About 30 per cent of the mass of this planet could be water (but note that this would not be liquid water at the planet's surface) - L 98-59e: Has a 'year' of 12.8 days and is at least three times more massive than the Earth (a 'super-Earth'). Its temperature is thought to be only a few ten degrees warmer than that of the Earth. - L 98-59f: In the habitable zone of the star, meaning liquid water may exist at the surface of this planet
