Wednesday, April 5, 2023

🔭 Super-Earth

A super-Earth is a type of exoplanet that has a mass higher than Earth but lower than that of the ice giants in our solar system (Uranus and Neptune). Typically, super-Earths have a radius between 1.3 and 2 times that of Earth and a mass between 2 and 10 times that of Earth. They are also more dense than Earth and may have a rocky composition with a thick atmosphere or be made of water or ice.

Super-Earths are some of the most common exoplanets discovered to date and are found in a variety of environments, including close to their host stars and in the habitable zone, where liquid water may exist on their surface. Due to their proximity to their host stars, many super-Earths have extremely short orbital periods, completing one orbit in just a few Earth days.

Research on super-Earths is ongoing, and their characteristics and potential for habitability are the subject of much scientific investigation.

GJ 1214 b is a super-Earth exoplanet located about 40 light-years away in the constellation Ophiuchus. It was discovered in 2009 and has a mass about 6.5 times that of Earth and a radius about 2.7 times that of Earth. GJ 1214 b is known for its relatively low density, which suggests that it has a large atmosphere made mostly of hydrogen and helium.

HD 209458 b, also known as Osiris, is a gas giant exoplanet located about 150 light-years away in the constellation Pegasus. It was discovered in 1999 and was the first exoplanet to have its atmosphere directly detected in 2001. HD 209458 b has a mass about 0.7 times that of Jupiter and a radius about 1.4 times that of Jupiter. It is also known for its extremely high temperature, which is believed to reach up to 1,000 degrees Celsius due to its close proximity to its host star.

WASP-12b is a gas giant exoplanet located about 600 light-years away in the constellation Auriga. It was discovered in 2008 and has a mass about 1.4 times that of Jupiter and a radius about 1.8 times that of Jupiter. WASP-12b is known for its extremely short orbital period, completing one orbit around its host star in just 1.1 Earth days. It is also known for its high temperature, which is believed to be around 2,500 degrees Celsius, making it one of the hottest known exoplanets.

HAT-P-7b is a gas giant exoplanet located about 1,040 light-years away in the constellation Cygnus. It was discovered in 2008 and has a mass about 1.8 times that of Jupiter and a radius about 1.4 times that of Jupiter. HAT-P-7b is known for its extremely high temperature, which is believed to reach up to 2,500 degrees Celsius due to its close proximity to its host star. It is also known for its unusual orbit, which is highly inclined and brings the planet close to its host star's poles.

Kepler-16b is a gas giant exoplanet located about 200 light-years away in the constellation Cygnus. It was discovered in 2011 and was the first exoplanet discovered in a circumbinary orbit, meaning that it orbits around two stars rather than just one. Kepler-16b has a mass about 0.33 times that of Jupiter and a radius about 0.75 times that of Jupiter. It is also known for its low temperature, which is believed to be around -100 degrees Celsius due to its distance from its host stars.

55 Cancri e, also known as Janssen, is a super-Earth exoplanet located about 41 light-years away in the constellation Cancer. It was discovered in 2004 and has a mass about 8 times that of Earth and a radius about 2 times that of Earth. 55 Cancri e is known for its extremely high temperature, which is believed to be around 1,700 degrees Celsius due to its close proximity to its host star. It is also known for its high density, which suggests that it may have a rocky composition.

______________________
Open Pedagogy: 🔭 Probabilistic Equation that is Used to Estimate...: The Drake Equation is a probabilistic equation that is used to estimate the number of active, communicative extraterrestrial civilizations i...