Latest news with #super-Earth
Time of India
3 days ago
- Science
- Time of India
Hint of ‘life' beyond Earth? Study reveals ‘surprising' biological activity on a distant planet
In the age of scientific evolution, technological advancements, and space exploration, we have often pondered over this one question for years – is there any planet beyond Earth that could sustain what we know as 'life'? Any planet that might be habitable for living beings in the future? In April 2025, the scientific community was abuzz with a groundbreaking announcement: astronomers had detected dimethyl sulfide (DMS) in the atmosphere of exoplanet K2-18b, located 124 light-years from Earth. DMS is a compound produced solely by biological processes on Earth, primarily by marine phytoplankton. This discovery was hailed as the strongest evidence yet of potential extraterrestrial life beyond our solar system. However, just weeks later, scientists are urging caution and emphasizing that the initial excitement may have been premature. Why? While the detection of DMS is intriguing, it does not definitively prove the existence of life on K2-18b. The compound could also be produced by unknown non-biological processes, and further observations are needed to confirm its origin. As per Dr. Luis Welbanks, a postdoctoral research scholar at Arizona State University's School of Earth and Space Exploration, 'It was exciting, but it immediately raised several red flags because that claim of a potential biosignature would be historic, but also the significance or the strength of the statistical evidence seemed to be too high for the data.' What is K2-18b? K2-18b, classified as a "Hycean" world, is a super-Earth exoplanet, meaning it's larger and more massive than Earth, that orbits a red dwarf star called K2-18. It's located about 124 light-years away from Earth in the constellation Leo. The planet is in its star's habitable zone, meaning it could potentially have liquid water on its surface, according to NASA. The exoplanet has a hydrogen-rich atmosphere and a subsurface ocean. This environment could potentially support microbial life. In addition to DMS, the James Webb Space Telescope has detected methane and carbon dioxide in the planet's atmosphere, further suggesting conditions that might be conducive to life. However, despite these promising signs and excitement surrounding the same, scientists remain cautious. The detection of DMS alone is not sufficient to confirm the presence of life. As Professor Nikku Madhusudhan, of the University of Cambridge and the lead author of the April study , noted, "We have to question ourselves both on whether the signal is real and what it means." The initial excitement surrounding the discovery of DMS on K2-18b underscores the growing interest in the search for extraterrestrial life. However, it also highlights the complexities and challenges of interpreting data from distant exoplanets. Nikku Madhusudhan and his colleagues have conducted additional research that they say reinforces their previous finding about the planet. And it's likely that additional observations and research from multiple groups of scientists are on the horizon. The succession of research papers revolving around K2-18b offers a glimpse of the scientific process unfolding in real time. It's a window into the complexities and nuances of how researchers search for evidence of life beyond Earth — and shows why the burden of proof is so high and difficult to reach. However, the search for life beyond Earth continues. 'Are we really alone in this vast universe?' As scientists continue to analyze the data and conduct further observations, the prospective answers to that very question remain open. Analysis finds evidence for many exoplanets made of water and rock around small stars
Business Mayor
29-04-2025
- Science
- Business Mayor
Astronomers find Earth-like exoplanets common across the cosmos
Using the Korea Microlensing Telescope Network (KMTNet), an international team of researchers has discovered that super-Earth exoplanets are more common across the universe than previously thought, according to a new study. By studying light anomalies made by the newly found planet's host star and combining their results with a larger sample from a KMTNet microlensing survey, the team found that super-Earths can exist as far from their host star as our gas giants are from the sun, said Andrew Gould, co-author of the study and professor emeritus of astronomy at The Ohio State University. 'Scientists knew there were more small planets than big planets, but in this study, we were able to show that within this overall pattern, there are excesses and deficits,' he said. 'It's very interesting.' While it can be relatively easy to locate worlds that orbit close to their star, planets with wider paths can be difficult to detect. Still, researchers further estimated that for every three stars, there should be at least one super-Earth present with a Jupiter-like orbital period, suggesting these massive worlds are extremely prevalent across the universe, said Gould, whose early theoretical research helped develop the field of planetary microlensing. The findings in this study were made via microlensing, an observational effect that occurs when the presence of mass warps the fabric of space-time to a detectable degree. When a foreground object, such as a star or planet, passes between an observer and a more distant star, light is curved from the source, causing an apparent increase in the object's brightness that can last anywhere from a few hours to several months. Astronomers can use these fluctuations, or bumps, in brightness to help locate alien worlds unlike our own. In this case, microlensing signals were used to locate OGLE-2016-BLG-0007, a super-Earth with a mass ratio roughly double that of Earth's and an orbit wider than Saturn's. These observations allowed the team to divide exoplanets into two groups, one that consists of super-Earths and Neptune-like planets and the other comprising gas giants like Jupiter or Saturn. This discovery opens new doors for planetary system science: Having a better understanding of exoplanet distribution can reveal new insights about the processes by which they form and evolve. The study, led by researchers in China, Korea and at Harvard University and the Smithsonian Institution in the United States, was recently published in the journal Science . To explain their results, researchers also compared their findings to predictions made from theoretical simulations of planet formation. Their results showed that while exoplanets can be separated into groups by mass and makeup, the mechanisms that may produce them can vary. 'The dominant theory of gas-giant formation is through runaway gas accretion, but other people have said that it could be both accretion and gravitational instability,' said Gould. 'We're saying we can't distinguish between those two yet.' Doing so will likely require greater swaths of long-term data from specialized systems such as KMTNet and other microlensing instruments like it, said Richard Pogge, another co-author of the study and a professor of astronomy at Ohio State. 'Finding a microlensing star event is hard. Finding a microlensing star with a planet is hard-squared,' he said. 'We have to look at hundreds of millions of stars to find even a hundred of these things.' These alignments are so rare that only 237 out of the more than 5,000 exoplanets ever discovered have been identified using the microlensing method. Now, with the help of three powerful custom-built telescopes located in South Africa, Chile and Australia, the KMTNet system routinely allows scientists to scour the cosmos for these amazing events, said Pogge. Most notably, it was scientists in Ohio State's Imaging Sciences Laboratory who designed and built the Korean Microlensing Telescope Network Cameras (KMTCam) that the system relies on to identify exoplanets. And as technology continues to evolve, having dedicated, global collaborations like this one will turn visions of scientific theory into real discoveries, said Pogge. 'We're like paleontologists reconstructing not only the history of the universe we live in but the processes that govern it,' he said. 'So helping to bring both of those pieces together into one picture has been enormously satisfying.' Other members of Ohio State's ISL team include Bruce Atwood, Tom O'Brien, Mark Johnson, Mark Derwent, Chris Colarosa, Jerry Mason, Daniel Pappalardo and Skip Shaller. This work was supported by the National Science Foundation, Tsinghua University, the National Natural Science Foundation of China, the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, the China Manned Space Project, Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange and the National Research Foundation of Korea.
The Print
27-04-2025
- Science
- The Print
Astronomers discover Earth-like exoplanets common across the cosmos: Study
While it can be relatively easy to locate worlds that orbit close to their star, planets with wider paths can be difficult to detect. Washington DC [US], April 27 (ANI): Astronomers have discovered that super-Earth exoplanets are more common across the universe than previously thought. Still, researchers estimated that for every three stars, there should be at least one super-Earth present with a Jupiter-like orbital period, suggesting these massive worlds are extremely prevalent across the universe. Using the Korea Microlensing Telescope Network (KMTNet), an international team of researchers has discovered that super-Earth exoplanets are more common across the universe than previously thought, according to a new study. By studying light anomalies made by the newly found planet's host star and combining their results with a larger sample from a KMTNet microlensing survey, the team found that super-Earths can exist as far from their host star as our gas giants are from the sun, said Andrew Gould, co-author of the study and professor emeritus of astronomy at The Ohio State University. 'Scientists knew there were more small planets than big planets, but in this study, we were able to show that within this overall pattern, there are excesses and deficits,' he said. 'It's very interesting.' While it can be relatively easy to locate worlds that orbit close to their star, planets with wider paths can be difficult to detect. Still, researchers further estimated that for every three stars, there should be at least one super-Earth present with a Jupiter-like orbital period, suggesting these massive worlds are extremely prevalent across the universe, said Gould, whose early theoretical research helped develop the field of planetary microlensing. The findings in this study were made via microlensing, an observational effect that occurs when the presence of mass warps the fabric of space-time to a detectable degree. When a foreground object, such as a star or planet, passes between an observer and a more distant star, light is curved from the source, causing an apparent increase in the object's brightness that can last anywhere from a few hours to several months. (ANI) This report is auto-generated from ANI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
Mint
27-04-2025
- Science
- Mint
New Study reveals super-Earths could be prevalent around stars, according to astronomers
Ohio [US], April 27 (ANI): A recent study has revealed that super-Earth exoplanets, worlds that are larger than Earth but smaller than Uranus or Neptune, are far more common in the universe than previously believed. The discovery, made by an international team of researchers using the Korea Microlensing Telescope Network (KMTNet), challenges previous assumptions about the frequency and distribution of these intriguing planets. The research team, led by astronomers from Ohio State University, Harvard University, and institutions in China and Korea, discovered that super-Earths can orbit as far from their stars as Jupiter orbits the Sun, contradicting the earlier belief that these planets are typically found only in close proximity to their host stars. By studying light anomalies caused by gravitational microlensing, the team detected one such super-Earth, OGLE-2016-BLG-0007, which has a mass roughly twice that of Earth and an orbit wider than Saturn's. "This study suggests that for every three stars, there is likely at least one super-Earth with a Jupiter-like orbital period," said Andrew Gould, a professor emeritus of astronomy at Ohio State University and co-author of the study, adding, "We are beginning to realize just how abundant these massive worlds are across the cosmos." The team's discovery was made possible through the technique of microlensing, a phenomenon in which the light from a distant star is bent and magnified by the gravitational field of an object, such as a planet, passing in front of it. This effect allows astronomers to detect objects that would otherwise be difficult to observe directly. "This study was a major step forward," Gould said, adding, "Scientists have long known that smaller planets are more common than large ones, but within this pattern, we've found excesses and deficits, offering new insights into planetary distribution." Through microlensing, astronomers can detect planets at various distances from their stars, including those with wider orbits. This breakthrough helps to reveal the prevalence of super-Earths that exist beyond the inner solar system, offering a new perspective on how planets form and evolve in different environments. One of the most significant findings of the study is its challenge to the prevailing theories of planetary formation. While it was long believed that gas giants like Jupiter and Saturn formed through the process of runaway gas accretion, the new study suggests that the mechanisms behind the creation of these planets may vary and may include both accretion and gravitational instability. "We cannot yet distinguish between the two leading theories of planet formation," explained Gould, adding, "While the dominant theory suggests gas-giant formation occurs through runaway gas accretion, other researchers propose a combination of accretion and gravitational instability. Our study adds to the complexity of these models." The discovery of super-Earths was made possible by the KMTNet, a global network of telescopes strategically located in South Africa, Chile, and Australia. This network allows scientists to monitor millions of stars for microlensing events, providing valuable data on distant exoplanets. The technology that powers KMTNet's microlensing observations was designed by Ohio State's Imaging Sciences Laboratory (ISL). Richard Pogge, a co-author of the study and a professor of astronomy at Ohio State, noted the rarity of finding microlensing events and the significant effort required. "Finding a microlensing star event is already difficult. Finding one with a planet is even harder," Pogge said, adding, "We need to observe hundreds of millions of stars to detect even a handful of these microlensing signals." So far, only 237 out of the more than 5,000 exoplanets discovered to date have been identified using microlensing. However, with the continuous advancements in technology and the ongoing work of international collaborations like KMTNet, astronomers are hopeful that more discoveries will follow. The new findings have broader implications for understanding planetary system formation. The study revealed that exoplanets can be grouped by both their mass and composition, and it highlighted significant gaps in the distribution of certain types of planets. These insights will likely open new avenues for future research into how planets form, evolve, and interact with their host stars. "We're reconstructing not only the history of the universe but also the processes that govern it," said Pogge, adding, "Bringing these pieces together into a coherent picture has been incredibly rewarding." This study was published in the prestigious journal Science, marking a significant advancement in our understanding of exoplanet distribution and formation. The study was supported by a number of institutions, including the National Science Foundation, Tsinghua University, the National Natural Science Foundation of China, and the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, among others. As technology improves and global collaborations continue, astronomers are optimistic that even more discoveries about the prevalence and variety of exoplanets await, further shaping our understanding of the universe and the conditions that might allow life to thrive elsewhere. (ANI) First Published: 27 Apr 2025, 03:09 PM IST
Time of India
27-04-2025
- Science
- Time of India
New research reveals super-Earths are common in distant orbits
Microlensing reveals distant worlds Live Events Challenging old theories Global collaboration and technology Fresh insights into planetary evolution (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel A recent international study has found that super-Earth exoplanets — those larger than Earth but smaller than Uranus or Neptune — are significantly more common across the universe than previously research team, led by astronomers from Ohio State University , Harvard University, and institutions in China and Korea, uncovered evidence that these planets are not restricted to tight orbits around their stars. Instead, many can exist as far out as Jupiter does in our own solar discovery was made through gravitational microlensing , a method that detects the bending and magnification of a distant star's light caused by an intervening object such as a planet. This allowed the team to spot OGLE-2016-BLG-0007, a super-Earth around twice the mass of our own planet, orbiting at a distance wider than Saturn's."This study suggests that for every three stars, there is likely at least one super-Earth with a Jupiter-like orbital period," said Andrew Gould, professor emeritus of astronomy at Ohio State University and co-author of the study. He added, "We are beginning to realise just how abundant these massive worlds are across the cosmos."By leveraging microlensing, astronomers have opened a window into finding planets that standard detection methods often miss, particularly those in more distant most striking is how the findings challenge long-standing models of planetary formation . Traditionally, scientists believed that gas giants like Jupiter and Saturn grew through a process called runaway gas accretion. This study suggests the picture might be more complicated."We cannot yet distinguish between the two leading theories of planet formation," explained Gould. "While the dominant theory suggests gas-giant formation occurs through runaway gas accretion, other researchers propose a combination of accretion and gravitational instability. Our study adds to the complexity of these models."The results suggest that both formation pathways might be active in different environments, forcing scientists to rethink assumptions about how planets form across different types of star research would not have been possible without the Korea Microlensing Telescope Network (KMTNet), a system of telescopes located in South Africa, Chile, and Australia. This network was designed to observe millions of stars continuously, searching for rare microlensing such events is no small task. "Finding a microlensing star event is already difficult. Finding one with a planet is even harder," said Richard Pogge, a co-author of the study and professor of astronomy at Ohio State University. He added, "We need to observe hundreds of millions of stars to detect even a handful of these microlensing signals."The technology powering KMTNet's precise measurements was built at Ohio State's Imaging Sciences Laboratory, ensuring that every fleeting anomaly could be captured and date, only 237 exoplanets have been discovered using microlensing, out of over 5,000 identified through various methods. However, astronomers are confident that improvements in technology will make detecting such distant planets increasingly the discovery of more super-Earths, the study offers broader insights into the architecture of planetary systems . It highlights that planets can be grouped by mass and composition, and points to gaps in the distribution of certain types of planets."This study was a major step forward," said Gould, adding, "Scientists have long known that smaller planets are more common than large ones, but within this pattern, we've found excesses and deficits, offering new insights into planetary distribution."Understanding these gaps could help scientists piece together how planets form, migrate, and survive in their cosmic environments. It also brings us closer to answering bigger questions about how common Earth-like worlds — and perhaps life — might be."We're reconstructing not only the history of the universe but also the processes that govern it," said Pogge. "Bringing these pieces together into a coherent picture has been incredibly rewarding."Published in the journal Science, the study marks a significant milestone in exoplanet research . It was supported by several key institutions, including the National Science Foundation, Tsinghua University, the National Natural Science Foundation of China, and the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for global collaborations strengthening and technologies sharpening, astronomers expect even more surprising discoveries about the types and distributions of planets orbiting distant new finding not only deepens our knowledge of the universe but also expands the possibilities for future exploration and, perhaps one day, the search for life beyond Earth.
