- L 98-59 d is a super-Earth exoplanet, current in 2019. It’s 35 light-years away and about 1.5 occasions the dimensions of Earth.
- The Webb area telescope noticed the planet as quickly as additional at the moment, searching for proof of an environment.
- It discovered the planet has a sulfur-rich ambiancethe mannequin new outcomes counsel. Astronomers talked about it may be an lively volcanic world, with volcanoes paying homage to these on Jupiter’s volcanic moon Io.
Is that this a volcanic exoplanet?
Volcanoes are widespread in our {photograph} voltaic system. Earth, Mars and Venus all have them. Even some moons do, for instance, Jupiter’s moon Io. Nonetheless what about distant exoplanets spherical completely completely different stars? On November 11, 2024, researchers at The Open College contained in the U.Okay. talked about they’ve discovered potential proof for a sulfur-rich ambiance on a planet 35 light-years away. The planet is labeled L 98-59 d. It’s about 1.5 occasions the dimensions of Earth. The researchers tentatively detected the gases sulfur dioxide (SO2) and hydrogen sulfide (H2S) in its ambiance. If confirmed, it’d degree out the bottom may be going molten or volcanic. Exoplanet L 98-59 d would even be the smallest of the distant planets acknowledged up to now which have confirmed atmospheres.
The researchers used NASA’s Webb House Telescope to make the invention.
Researcher Agnibha Banerjee at The Open College wrote regarding the new findings in The Dialog on November 11, 2024.
The researchers revealed their peer-reviewed findings in The Astrophysical Letters on October 30, 2024.
Meet L 98-59 d
L 98-59 d is a rocky planet, like Earth, and about 1.5 occasions the dimensions of Earth. This areas it inside the category of super-Earth. It orbits an M-type star – or crimson dwarf – 35 light-years from Earth. NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite tv for pc television for computer tv for laptop computer (TESS) area telescope found it in 2019.
TESS used the transit strategy to detect the planet. That’s when a planet transits – passes in entrance of – its star, as seen from Earth. L 98-59 d orbits near its star, ending an orbit in solely 7.5 days.
“Researchers, together with lecturers from The Open College (OU) have found a attainable sulphur-rich ambiance of exoplanet L 98-59 d, signalling potential volcanoes on its flooring.”
Be taught further on #OUNews!https://t.co/wamVZwC1gs pic.twitter.com/SlLf4gYxvP
— College of STEM, The Open College (@OU_STEM) November 2, 2024
A volcanic exoplanet with a sulfur-rich ambiance?
Banerjee and colleagues used NASA’s Webb House Telescope to take a look at one transit of the planet. On account of the planet handed in entrance of the star, Webb tried to detect an environment. It did so by analyzing the transmission spectrum of the planet. That’s the place some mild is absorbed by the ambiance and a few is transmitted by way of it. Contained in the spectrum, the darkish strains and dim bands of sunshine correspond to atoms and molecules contained in the planet’s ambiance. And, really, the evaluation confirmed proof of a attainable ambiance, further considerably an environment crammed with sulfur dioxide and hydrogen sulfide. The paper acknowledged:
The atmospheric spectrum signifies the potential presence of the sulfur-bearing species H2S and SO2, which might trace at energetic volcanism on this planet if verified by future observations.
What does that point out?
A volcanic world, however not like Earth
The invention of these two gases suggests L 98-59 d may be going a volcanic or molten world. Nonetheless, it’s prone to be not like each of the planets in our {photograph} voltaic system which have volcanoes. Earth, in the end, has many energetic volcanoes. Along with, there’s rising proof that Venus’ volcanoes are nonetheless energetic as correctly. And there are large volcanoes on Mars, though they’ve been ineffective or dormant for an entire bunch of tons of to billions of years. Nonetheless Earth’s ambiance is dominated by nitrogen, whereas the atmospheres of Venus and Mars are largely carbon dioxide.
An Io-like world?
So, this implies the volcanic processes on L 98-59 d are almost definitely fairly completely completely completely different. Actually, they might be further similar to Jupiter’s moon Io, which is principally primarily essentially the most volcanically energetic physique in our {photograph} voltaic system. On Io, tidal heating drives volcanism. Jupiter’s immense gravity pulls and squeezes Io, heating it on the within.
As a consequence of this, Io’s insides are on a regular basis melting and spewing out by way of volcanoes. This can be similar to L 98-59 d, due to it orbits so near its star.
If L 98-59 d is completely volcanically energetic, and in a technique not seen on rocky planets in our personal {photograph} voltaic system, that’s prone to be thrilling for planetary scientists. It’s prone to be a risk to get a glimpse of volcanic processes not seen on planets earlier than. On account of the paper well-known:
The rocky planets contained in the {photograph} voltaic system all have completely completely completely different atmospheric compositions, and the research of such atmospheres in exoplanetary methods could unlock a wealthy fluctuate of unexplored chemistries.
Backside line: L 98-59 d, a super-Earth 35 light-years away, could also be a volcanic exoplanet. NASA’s Webb area telescope has detected a attainable sulfur-rich ambiance.
Be taught further:
Is there a volcanic exomoon orbiting this massive exoplanet?
Wow! New volcano on Jupiter’s moon Io
Vigorous Venus volcanoes revealed as quickly as additional in Magellan data