Researchers record the smallest stellar earthquake in a star

Researchers were able to visualize the smallest stellar earthquake already registered, produced by a orange dwarf star . The study of the event allows the measurement of the size of these stars to be more precise and, consequently, that of the planets.

Called Epsilon Indi, it was the smallest and coldest star found that produces earthquakes similar to those of the Sun. These movements are important to obtain a view of the star's interior and learn more about it.

In this study, the asteroseismology technique was used, which measures the oscillations in stars. It is a strategy similar to that of seismology, which studies earthquakes and the propagation of seismic waves through the Earth's crust.

By using these tools and observing the phenomenon, it was possible to more accurately measure the size of these stars. With this, it is also possible to define the measurements of the planets in relation to them.

Tiago Campante, lead author of the study, said in a press release that: “The extreme level of precision of these observations is an exceptional technological achievement. Importantly, this detection concludes that, with asteroseismology, it is possible to analyze cool dwarfs with surface temperatures as low as 4,200 degrees Celsius (about 1,000 degrees cooler than the surface of the Sun), effectively opening a new domain in observational astrophysics. ”.

These stars have been the focus of studies in the search for habitable planets and extraterrestrial life, with the hypothesis that they are around them.

With this discovery, the Plato Mission, organized by the European Space Agency (ESA), scheduled to be launched in 2026, will seek to record more stellar earthquakes in orange dwarfs, in addition to continuing the search for the planets around them.