时间:2024-09-20 07:56:18 来源:网络整理编辑:休閑
A strange world blanketed in metallic cloudshas been spotted in the cosmos. Called LTT9779b, it's an
A strange world blanketed in metallic cloudshas been spotted in the cosmos.
Called LTT9779 b, it's an exoplanet, or planet beyond our solar system, that's extremely reflective. "The exoplanet is around the size of Neptune, making it the largest 'mirror' in the Universe that we know of today," writes the European Space Agency, whose exoplanet satellite Cheops made the observation. Cheops, short for "CHaracterising ExOPlanet Satellite," is a mission to closely study other solar systems, and better characterize the mysterious planets within.
This radiant world, which reflects prodigious amounts of light from its nearby star, is as harsh as it is unique.
"Imagine a burning world, close to its star, with heavy clouds of metals floating aloft, raining down titanium droplets," James Jenkins, an astronomer at Diego Portales University who worked on the research, said in a statement. The study was recently published in the science journal Astronomy & Astrophysics.
SEE ALSO:Webb telescope shows fantastic powers by zooming into alien planetCheops uses a single hi-tech telescope to peer at deep space exoplanets as it watches for these distant spheres to transit in front of their respective stars. This temporarily dims the star, allowing astronomers to analyze minute changes in light that ultimately determine these exoplanets' size, density, and other characteristics. By looking at LTT9779 b, located some 262 light-years away, Cheops could see the strong combination of light from both the planet and its star, as opposed to just light from the star (when LTT9779 b transited behind).
Earth reflects about 30 percent of the sun's light. But LTT9779 b reflects 80 percentof its starlight.
The Cheops spacecraft determining properties of the exoplanet LTT9779 b.Credit: ESA (Acknowledgement: work performed by ATG under contract for ESA)LTT9779 b isn't just extremely bright. It's also extremely hot. The planet orbits its star in just 19 hours (as opposed to Earth, which, as you know, orbits the sun every 365 days). A Neptune-sized planet, which is about four times wider than Earth, had never before been seen so close to a star.
"It’s a planet that shouldn’t exist," Vivien Parmentier, an astronomer at the Observatory of Côte d’Azur in France who also worked on the research, explained in a statement. "We expect planets like this to have their atmosphere blown away by their star, leaving behind bare rock."
"It’s a planet that shouldn’t exist."
In such a torrid realm of a solar system, small rocky worlds or perhaps giant "hot Jupiters" are spotted dwelling near their stars. Yet LTT9779 b has defied expectations. And the researchers suspect the metallic clouds make it possible.
Want more scienceand tech news delivered straight to your inbox? Sign up for Mashable's Light Speed newslettertoday.
"The clouds reflect light and stop the planet from getting too hot and evaporating," Sergio Hoyer, a researcher at the Marseille Astrophysics Laboratory in France, noted. "Meanwhile, being highly metallic makes the planet and its atmosphere heavy and harder to blow away."
LTT9779 b is an unexpected, mirror-like oddity. What other curiosities are out there, lurking in the deep cosmos?
TopicsNASA
Nancy Pelosi warns colleagues after info hacked2024-09-20 07:56
《各位國民》資深騙子崔始源開始反擊 !收視率UP!2024-09-20 07:41
何育駿顛覆出演醉心創業的”窮孩子“ ,口碑炸裂、紮心了2024-09-20 07:37
揭秘傳奇八門 《外八門之黃金羅盤》定檔優酷3.282024-09-20 07:21
Olympic security asks female Iranian fan to drop protest sign2024-09-20 07:09
秦嵐《夜空中最閃亮的星》 化身“弟控”禦姐範十足2024-09-20 07:04
《青春鬥》熱播 鄭家彬:前方危險 高能預警2024-09-20 07:01
《平凡的榮耀》深耕社會現狀 聚焦現實進行深度創作2024-09-20 05:54
Hiddleswift finally followed each other on Instagram after 3 excruciating days2024-09-20 05:53
《夜空中最閃亮的星》熱播 黃子韜變身鄭柏旭強勢圈粉2024-09-20 05:41
This 'sh*tpost' bot makes terrible memes so you don't have to2024-09-20 07:41
賀剛《重耳傳奇》爆料老搭檔 演繹十餘年硬核圈粉2024-09-20 07:34
《青春鬥》熱播 鄭家彬 :前方危險 高能預警2024-09-20 07:10
徐正溪男主劇《痕跡》今日開機,變身法醫推理探案 ,高顏值好演技引期待!2024-09-20 06:35
This German startup wants to be your bank (without being a bank)2024-09-20 06:33
《鳳弈》發布魏廣個人片花,徐正溪深情溫柔被讚理想型男友!2024-09-20 06:18
國風言情劇《水墨人生》近日開機 創新國風唯美言情2024-09-20 05:57
徐正溪男主劇《痕跡》今日開機,變身法醫推理探案 ,高顏值好演技引期待!2024-09-20 05:54
PlayStation Now game streaming is coming to PC2024-09-20 05:26
汪汐潮新劇《鳳弈》熱播 化身蠢萌反派霸氣歸來2024-09-20 05:24