SPECULOOS-3b is an Earth-sized planet, but instead of being a Sun-like star, it orbits a “red dwarf” about the size of Jupiter. Although, depending on the conditions, it is almost impossible for an atmosphere to form on the planet at any time, the new discovery is still useful from a science point of view.
It turns out that observations could be crucial to identifying so-called “ultracool dwarf stars.” Science Alert From his writings. The James Webb Space Telescope is also used to make further measurements Can be published. Overall, the present result indeed demonstrates the effectiveness of “telescope gratings.”
In search of exoplanets
Source: Depositpotos
There are a surprising number of “red dwarfs” in the known universe, but they are difficult to observe due to their small size and relatively cold surface. The SPECULOOS program launched by the Paranal Observatory in Chile (Searching for habitable planets that obscure ultracool starsin Hungarian: Searching for habitable planets orbiting very cool stars) was set out specifically to find such red dwarfs (and the planets that might orbit them).
The recently discovered star SPECULOOS-3 is also one of these stars: it is located just 55 light-years from our solar system, has a mass of about 10 percent of the mass of the Sun, and is about the same size as Jupiter. The star's surface temperature is only half that of the Sun, so its light is only about a thousand times stronger.
Speculus-3B
The discovery of SPECULOOS-3b was made possible by its periodic transit in front of its star. In such cases, the light reaching us from the star is somewhat less than from others, and this decrease can actually be detected by a network of several telescopes. Based on the observations, researchers have established additional interesting things about the Earth-sized planet: On SPECULOOS-3b, for example, day and night do not alternate as they do here.
Because an exoplanet (just like the Moon) always shows the same side toward its star, and moves in sync. This means that one half is always light and the other is covered in eternal darkness. The newly discovered planet, which is the size of Earth, revolves around its star in only 17 days, because it is much closer to it.
We always see the same side of the moon
Source: Photo Deposit
A planet the size of Earth and that's about it
We already know that SPECULOOS-3b has approximately the same diameter (slightly smaller) than the Earth. However, its mass is still unknown, so no conclusions can be drawn about its composition. However, based on what we know so far, the two planets don't have much in common. An atmosphere would likely never form on an Earth-sized planet, because the radiation from the star and frequent solar flares “blows” everything off the surface so quickly.
Solar flares can be observed in all active stars
Source: Photo Deposit
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