Latest news with #TOI-1846
Time of India
7 days ago
- Science
- Time of India
Scientists find second Earth hidden near red dwarf, could this water world reshape our future
Live Events (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel Astronomers have discovered a new exoplanet nearly twice the size of Earth that may be rich in water, according to a study published on the arXiv preprint server. The planet, named TOI-1846 b , is located approximately 154 light-years from Earth and orbits a red dwarf star The discovery was led by Abderahmane Soubkiou and his team at the Oukaimeden Observatory in Morocco. The planet was detected using data from NASA 's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) and confirmed through ground-based photometry, high-resolution imaging, and spectroscopy.'We have validated TOI-1846 b using TESS and multicolor ground-based photometric data, high-resolution imaging, and spectroscopic observations,' the authors wrote, as reported by to the study, TOI-1846 b has a radius of approximately 1.792 times that of Earth and is about 4.4 times more massive. The planet completes one orbit around its host star every 3.93 days, suggesting it lies extremely close to the star. Its equilibrium temperature is estimated at 568.1 Kelvin (approximately 295°C).Researchers believe the planet likely has a water-rich composition, based on its size and density. However, they emphasized the need for further observations to confirm this. In particular, radial velocity (RV) measurements using instruments like MAROON-X could help determine its mass and internal structure more study also notes that the planet has a Transmission Spectroscopy Metric (TSM) of 47, which is below the benchmark value of 90 typically used for small sub-Neptune planets. This means that while its atmosphere may be more difficult to study, it remains a target of interest for future host star, TOI-1846, is a red dwarf with a mass of about 0.42 times that of the Sun and a radius of approximately 0.4 solar radii. It has an estimated age of 7.2 billion years and an effective temperature of 3,568 discovery adds to a growing list of super-Earths identified by astronomers in recent years. Earlier in 2025, researchers discovered another super-Earth, HD 20794 d, located just 20 light-years from Earth. That planet is about six times Earth's mass and lies within the habitable zone of its star, although its elliptical orbit may affect its potential to support b is not considered habitable due to its high temperature and close orbit, but its age and possible water-rich nature make it a valuable object for studying the formation and evolution of rocky exoplanets.
NDTV
05-07-2025
- Science
- NDTV
Astronomers Discover "Water-Rich Super-Earth" Twice As Big As Our Planet
Scientists have discovered a new "super-Earth" that is located about 154 light-years away and is nearly twice as big and four times as massive as our planet. According to a paper published on the arXiv preprint server, the team of astronomers, led by Abderahmane Soubkiou of the Oukaimeden Observatory in Morocco, discovered the exoplanet using NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS). They stated the newly discovered alien world, designated TOI-1846 b, is likely a water-rich super-Earth and is estimated to be 7.2 billion years old. "We have validated TOI-1846 b using TESS and multicolour ground-based photometric data, high-resolution imaging, and spectroscopic observations," the researchers wrote in the paper, as per According to the study, the exoplanet has a radius of about 1.792 Earth radii and is about 4.4 times more massive than our planet. It orbits its host every 3.93 days, and the equilibrium temperature of the planet is estimated to be 568.1 K. Based on their research, scientists concluded that the new "super-Earth" is likely water-rich. But they noted that radial velocity (RV) observations of TOI-1846 b should be conducted in order to unveil its composition. "These findings make TOI-1846 b well-suited for mass determination via RV observations. This could be possible with the MAROON-X instrument. (...) We find a TSM [transmission spectroscopy metric] of 47 for TOI-1846 b, which is below the 90 benchmark for small sub-Neptunes," the authors of the paper wrote, according to the outlet. When it comes to the parent star TOI-1846, the researchers said that the exoplanet is about 0.4 times the size of the Sun, and its mass is approximately 0.42 solar masses. The star has an effective temperature of 3,568 K and is estimated to be 7.2 billion years old, study authors said. Meanwhile, earlier this year, researchers discovered another "super-Earth" located outside our solar system. The exoplanet, designated HD 20794 d, is six times the mass of Earth and could harbour liquid water on its surface. Located 20 light-years away, it orbits within the habitable zone of a star similar to our sun, according to findings from the University of Oxford. However, unlike Earth's circular orbit, HD 20794 d follows an elliptical path, making it uncertain whether the planet could support life, researchers said.
