Over the years, extensive observations and studies have been conducted on this particular planet, considering it as one of the distinctive exoplanets.
The term ‘super-Earth’ is employed to categorize planets beyond our Solar System that possess a significantly higher mass than Earth and a rocky surface accompanied by a thin atmosphere.
According to FOX News, a research team employed NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) to detect a novel ‘super-Earth’ referred to as TOI-561b. Launched into space in 2018, TESS has the mission of surveying nearby stars in search of exoplanets orbiting around them.
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Stephen Kane, an astronomer from the University of California and a co-author of the study, mentioned that TOI-561b revolves around one of the rare stars situated within the galactic disk of the Milky Way.
This stellar system is estimated to be approximately 14 billion years old, whereas the Sun is only 4.5 billion years old. Consequently, TOI-561 appeared during the period when most stars in the Milky Way galaxy began emitting light.
“Toi-561 is among the earliest rocky planets ever discovered,” stated Lauren Weiss, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Hawaii and the lead author of the study. The team utilized the W.M. Keck Observatory in Hawaii to conduct further investigations on the planet’s mass, radius, and density.
The team discovered that TOI-561b completes its orbit around its host star within half a day on Earth, signifying that two Earth days elapse on this planet in the same timeframe it takes for one day to pass on Earth.
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Regarding its composition, TOI-561b exhibits a relatively low interior density, indicating a scarcity of heavy elements like iron or magnesium. This observation further suggests that TOI-561b formed a significant amount of time ago.
Due to its close proximity to the host star, the distance between the ‘super-Earth’ and its star is quite small, resulting in a surface temperature of 1,726 degrees Celsius. This temperature is too hot to sustain life. However, scientists speculate that this planet might have been warmer millions of years ago, and it is not entirely ruled out that it could have once harbored life.
Currently, the research team is actively determining the interior composition of this exoplanet. The study has received approval for publication in the reputable journal, The Astronomical Journal.
To date, NASA’s TESS program has discovered thousands of exoplanets, including over 50 that exhibit the potential to support life based on their size, orbital trajectory, and suitable distance from their host stars.