Astronomers have discovered a new, Earth-sized planet that orbits an ultracool dwarf star similar in size to Jupiter, Guardian reported. This new extrasolar planet or exoplanet, is named Speculoos- 3b and is located relatively close to Earth just 55 light-years away.
The Search for Planets Eclipsing Ultra cool stars – 3b swings, the red dwarf is around once every 17 hours, making a year on the planet which might be shorter than a single Earth day. The exoplanet that is found is completely different and is “tidally locked”, which is locked to a star where the planet will experience an eternal dayside and an everlasting nightside.
Also read- Top 10 EdTech Companies Revolutionising India’s Digital Learning Ecosystem
“We believe that the planet rotates synchronously, so that the same side, called the day side, always faces the star, just like the moon does for the Earth. On the other hand, the night side would be locked in endless darkness”. Said Michael Gillon, an astronomer at the University of Liege in Belgium
Discovering the Exoplanet
Red Dwarf – it is the smallest kind of star in the main sequence. It is regarded that red dwarfs are one of the most common fusing stars in the Milky Way. These ultra-cool red dwarfs are cooler and smaller than our sun. The red dwarfs have exceptionally long lifetimes because it is thousands of times cooler than the Sun.
“While ultracool dwarf stars are cooler and smaller than our Sun, their lifespan is over a hundred times longer, around 100 billion years they are expected to be the last stars still shining in the universe. This long lifespan could offer opportunities for extraterrestrial life on orbiting planets to develop. The small size of ultracool dwarfs makes it easier to detect small planets”, said the University of Brimingham’s Professor Amaury Traiud.
About Author
This Article has been written by Ms Vijaya Pramodini SK, an aspiring journalist, who is currently dedicated to her studies in Journalism and communication. With a keen eye for authenticity, she strives to uncover and present the real facts, embodying the principles of ethical journalism.
