![]() |
NASA |
NASA Discovers Mysterious Super-Earth Planet Twice the Size of Earth
NASA has announced the discovery of a mysterious exoplanet named TOI-1846 b, described as a potential “Super-Earth” located approximately 154 light-years from Earth. This intriguing planet, which is about twice the size and four times the mass of Earth, orbits a small, cool red dwarf star in a tight orbit lasting just four Earth days.
The planet’s orbit causes frequent and unusual dips in the light of its host star—an observation that first alerted astronomers to its presence. Data from both space-based and ground-based telescopes reveal that TOI-1846 b falls within a rare planetary category known as the "radius gap." This group includes planets that are larger than rocky Earth-like worlds but smaller than gas-rich planets like Neptune.
Despite its estimated surface temperature of around 600°F (316°C), scientists are not ruling out the possibility of water existing on the planet. The planet’s close orbit is significantly tighter than that of Mercury in our solar system, and the host star itself is much smaller and less massive than the Sun—roughly 40% the Sun’s size and mass.
NASA researchers hope to leverage the capabilities of the James Webb Space Telescope to study the planet’s atmosphere using infrared spectroscopy. The goal is to detect the possible presence of water vapor, methane, carbon dioxide, and other gases that could provide valuable clues about the planet's composition and potential habitability.
This discovery adds to a growing body of knowledge about exoplanets that fall into the Super-Earth category and highlights how far space exploration and detection technologies have come. TOI-1846 b may prove to be an important target in the ongoing search for planets beyond our solar system that could one day support life—or at least deepen our understanding of how planetary systems evolve.
2 Comments
This planet is about twice the size and four times the mass of Earth
ReplyDeleteThe planet’s close orbit is significantly tighter than that of Mercury in our solar system
ReplyDelete