Australian astronomers have discovered a new rocky planet in the constellation Virgo, which may be the best option for studying the atmospheres of similar planets outside the solar system. It is known as Gliese 486b and belongs to the super-land class. This means it has a rocky surface, larger than Earth, but smaller than ice giants such as Neptune and Uranus.
Gliese 486b orbits a red dwarf about 26 light-years away, which makes it our cosmic neighbor. The planet’s surface temperature is about 430 degrees Celsius, which means it is too hot for human life. Scientists believe that the study of the atmosphere of Gliese 486b will answer the question of the possibility of living on such planets of people or other forms of life.
“This is the planet we have dreamed of for decades. We’ve known for a long time that rocky super-Earths must exist around nearby stars, but until recently we didn’t have the technology to find them. This discovery could change our understanding of planetary atmospheres, ”said Ben Montet, one of the study’s authors.
Gliese 486b’s only resemblance to Earth is that it is a rocky planet. Otherwise, they are different. Gliese 486b is 30% larger than Earth and almost three times heavier, and its gravity is 70% stronger. Given the high surface temperature, the planet is likely covered in rivers of red-hot lava. This means that life in its usual form cannot exist there. However, there are two very important reasons why the Gliese 486b is special. One of them is that its atmosphere is “swollen” due to the high temperature, and this helps astronomers to make atmospheric measurements. Another reason is that it is a transit planet that passes in front of its star from a very good angle, which allows scientists to conduct an in-depth analysis of it.
Gliese 486b is the type of planet that astronomers will study in the coming decades. Ben Montet believes that if in the future people can travel to other star systems, then this is one of those planets that will be on the list.
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