Scientists from different space and astronomy agencies are dismayed by the discovery of a super Earth, a planet that is outside our solar system. The world has water, experts say, and it could also support life.
Is called TOI-733b, orbits a solar-type G star in a nearby region of the Milky Way, about 245 light-years from Earth; close when we talk about astronomical distances.
This exoplanet was detected this year, thanks to the tools and data recorded by the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS).
Experts explain that this super Earth has a radius of 1.21 times that of our planet and a mass that exceeds us by 5.72. “Its density is 3.54 g/cm^3, which suggests that it is composed mainly of rock and metal,” the scientists detailed.
The world orbits its star at a distance of 0.0618 astronomical units (AU), or what is the same, 9.4 million kilometers. Its orbital period is 4.9 days. This closeness means that the temperatures on the surface of TOI-733b are approximately between 200 and 400 degrees Celsius. Therefore, astronomers say that there is water, but they are not sure if it is liquid or in some other form.
This exoplanet, TOI-733b, has a density of 3.98 grams per cubic centimeter, slightly more than Mars and less than Earth. (📷NASA) pic.twitter.com/k1dE9DAdsY
– Mar Gomez (@MarGomezH) April 24, 2023
“TOI-733b is a very interesting exoplanet because it is one of the few known oceanic super-Earths. Its discovery opens up new possibilities for the search for extraterrestrial life,” said those in charge of reviewing the TESS data.
There are those who already theorize that TOI-733b could be a habitable world. The presence of liquid water is an essential condition for life as we know it. In addition, the density of the super-Earth suggests that it could have an atmosphere, essential to protect any body from harmful solar radiation from space.