Latest news with #TOI‑1846b
Scottish Sun
15-07-2025
- Science
- Scottish Sun
Nasa uncovers ‘Super Earth' planet flashing with mysterious repeating signal just 154 lightyears away
The planet may even host water OUTTA SPACE Nasa uncovers 'Super Earth' planet flashing with mysterious repeating signal just 154 lightyears away Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) NASA has uncovered a new 'Super Earth' planet just 154-lightyears away that has been flashing a mysterious signal. The planet appears to be almost twice as wide as our planet, and roughly four times heavier. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 1 Nasa's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) Credit: Nasa Earlier this year, Nasa's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) captured a repetitive flicker of starlight. The dimming pattern, captured by TESS, occurred in March of each year. Tracing it back, scientists stumbled across a 'Super Earth', dubbed TOI‑1846 b, hiding in the northern constellation Lyra. The planet has a size and weight combination that suggests it falls into the so-called 'radius gap'. READ MORE ON NASA LIFE ON MARS Remarkable Nasa photo shows eerie Mars landscape scattered with 'TREES' This a rare category between small, rocky planets like Earth and larger, gas-rich planets like Neptune. Based on this, scientists believe the newly discovered world may have a layer of dense ice underneath, topped by a thin atmosphere - or maybe even a shallow ocean. Despite an estimated surface temperature of 300C (600F), researchers say the planet may still hold water. This is because TOI‑1846 b is likely tidally locked - meaning one side always faces its star while the other remains in darkness. Water, therefore, may be trapped in the cooler, darker regions, according to scientists. Although it depends on how heat moves through its atmosphere. Best-ever sign of ALIEN life found on distant planet as scientists '99.7% sure of astounding biological activity signal' Given the scorching temperatures, alien life is unlikely to be found on the planet. Working with observers on four continents, researcher Abderahmane Soubkiou and colleagues at the Oukaimeden Observatory in Morocco confirmed the existence of the exoplanet. 'We have validated TOI‑1846 b using TESS and multicolor ground‑based photometric data, high‑resolution imaging, and spectroscopic observations,' Soubkiou wrote at the end of the team's announcement. Their measurements show the planet orbits its star in just under four days. TESS scans the sky every 30 minutes with four high-sensitivity cameras, making it the ideal tool for spotting shallow light dips like those from TOI-1846 b. Each dip in the light from its neighboring star, a Red Dwarf, is caused when the planet passes in front of it from the perspective of Earth. Because the star is faint, each transit of TOI‑1846 b subtracts only a few hundredths of a percent of its light - but TESS is built for picking up such slight flickers. But different tools are needed to learn more about the possibly rocky, water-featuring world. The team noted that the MAROON‑X instrument on Gemini North in Hawai'i can verify the planet's mass and uncover any hidden sibling planets lurking in the shadows. Nasa scientists hope they can secure time with the James Webb Space Telescope and target TOI-1846 b to study its atmosphere using infrared light. The $10 billion telescope discovered its first-ever exoplanet just last month, but has been used to analyse others on its journey through space. All you need to know about planets in our solar system Our solar system is made up of nine planets with Earth the third closest to the Sun. But each planet has its own quirks, so find out more about them all... How old is Earth? Plus other facts on our planet How many moons does Mercury have? What colour is Venus? How far away is Mars to Earth? And other facts on the red planet How big is Jupiter? How many moons does Saturn have? Does Uranus have rings? How many moons does Neptune have? How big is Pluto? How hot is the Sun?
The Irish Sun
15-07-2025
- Science
- The Irish Sun
Nasa uncovers ‘Super Earth' planet flashing with mysterious repeating signal just 154 lightyears away
NASA has uncovered a new 'Super Earth' planet just 154-lightyears away that has been flashing a mysterious signal. The planet appears to be almost twice as wide as our planet, and roughly four times heavier. 1 Nasa's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) Credit: Nasa Earlier this year, Nasa's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) captured a repetitive flicker of starlight . The dimming pattern, captured by TESS, occurred in March of each year. Tracing it back, scientists stumbled across a 'Super Earth', dubbed TOI‑1846 b, hiding in the northern constellation Lyra . The planet has a size and weight combination that suggests it falls into the so-called 'radius gap'. READ MORE ON NASA This a rare category between small, rocky planets like Earth and larger, gas-rich planets like Neptune. Based on this, scientists believe the newly discovered world may have a layer of dense ice underneath, topped by a thin atmosphere - or maybe even a shallow ocean. Despite an estimated surface temperature of 300C (600F), researchers say the planet may still hold water. This is because TOI‑1846 b is likely tidally locked - meaning one side always faces its star while the other remains in darkness. Most read in Science Water, therefore, may be trapped in the cooler, darker regions, according to scientists. Although it depends on how heat moves through its atmosphere. Best-ever sign of ALIEN life found on distant planet as scientists '99.7% sure of astounding biological activity signal' Given the scorching temperatures, alien life is unlikely to be found on the planet. Working with observers on four continents, researcher Abderahmane Soubkiou and colleagues at the Oukaimeden Observatory in Morocco confirmed the existence of the exoplanet. 'We have validated TOI‑1846 b using TESS and multicolor ground‑based photometric data, high‑resolution imaging, and spectroscopic observations,' Soubkiou wrote at the end of the team's announcement. Their measurements show the planet orbits its star in just under four days. TESS scans the sky every 30 minutes with four high-sensitivity cameras, making it the ideal tool for spotting shallow light dips like those from TOI-1846 b. Each dip in the light from its neighboring star, a Red Dwarf, is caused when the planet passes in front of it from the perspective of Earth. Because the star is faint, each transit of TOI‑1846 b subtracts only a few hundredths of a percent of its light - but TESS is built for picking up such slight flickers. But different tools are needed to learn more about the possibly rocky, water-featuring world. The team noted that the MAROON‑X instrument on Gemini North in Hawai'i can verify the planet's mass and uncover any hidden sibling planets lurking in the shadows. Nasa scientists hope they can secure time with the James Webb Space Telescope and target TOI-1846 b to study its atmosphere using infrared light. The $10 billion telescope discovered its first-ever exoplanet just last month, but has been used to analyse others on its journey through space. All you need to know about planets in our solar system Our solar system is made up of nine planets with Earth the third closest to the Sun. But each planet has its own quirks, so find out more about them all... How old is How many moons does What colour is How far away is How big is How many moons does Does How many moons does How big is How hot is the
