What Is a Super-Earth?

Astronomers have discovered many huge terrestrial planets outside the solar system, which they call super terrestrial planets. Scientists speculate that these planets have plate tectonics similar to Earth. British scholars confirm the existence of "Super Earth" as the first habitable planet outside the Department. ^[1]

Super terrestrial planet

Plate tectonics (huge

Super terrestrial planet

It is not uncommon for the European Space Agency's Herschel Space Telescope to discover a large cluster of small celestial bodies (comets, etc.) in the periphery of another star system. Earlier in 2013, the telescope also observed the famous Beiluomenmen star system . Using infrared-wave-based observation technology that can see through thick dust disks around the periphery, astronomers can estimate how many comets in the star system were destroyed after entering the inner orbit. Scientists have also hypothesized an incident between a planet orbiting in a stellar system and a comet. Through these models, it is concluded that there are 260 billion to 83 trillion small comets in the thick disk-shaped material belt around Beiluo Shimen. The number of comets in the Oort cloud is thought to be similar. This observation also speculates on the evolution of the oceans on the planets, expanding the habitability and potential habitable exoplanets of terrestrial planets.

In stellar systems that lack massive gaseous planets, such as Saturn and Jupiter, planets in the inner orbit can avoid the bombardment of mass comets. Conversely, smaller Neptune-like objects can keep the inner orbiting planets stable and small meteor showers. Attack. Because of this, the Glitzer 581 and Virgo 61 star systems are under long-term "siege" by a large number of small comets in the outer disk-like material group. Considering that the Glitzer 581 star system has had an evolution history of nearly 2 billion years, the inner orbiting planets may contain considerable reserves of "water resources". ^[14]

Kepler

Volume comparison chart: 22-b, 69-c, 62-e, 62-f

"The right size and the right position," the Associated Press said on the 19th. The Kepler-62 planetary system is about 1200 light-years away from Earth and is located in Lyra. In this system, five planets surround one smaller and colder than the sun. And older stars, Kepler-62e and Kepler-62f are the two outermost ones, they are 1.6 times and 1.4 times the size of the earth, respectively, and the heat radiation is only 1.2 times and 0.4 times, the orbital periods are 122 days and 267 days respectively. Scientists at the Max-Planck Institute for Astronomy in Germany say Kepler-62e's temperature "may be like Washington in May." Researchers speculate that the two planets It is mainly composed of rocks or ice. Only after obtaining the relevant atmospheric spectrum characteristics can it be clear whether they are really "livable" and "if there is life above, it must be very advanced." Another "new earth" Kepler-69c It is located in the Kepler-69 planetary system. In Cygnus, it is about 2700 light-years away from the earth, its volume is 1.7 times that of the earth, and its revolution period is 242 days. In addition, the composition of the two planetary systems is uncertain. The remaining 4 planets have a revolution cycle only Days, meaning that they are very hot, not suitable for human survival.

Super terrestrial planets near the solar system

The European Southern Observatory released a report on June 26, 2013 that the latest research by German scientists found that there are three "super-earths" near the solar system suitable for reproduction, and there may be extraterrestrial life. The three planets orbit a star in Scorpio, only 22 light years from Earth. Calculated in astronomical units, it can be called a neighbor to the earth. ^[14]

An international research team led by the University of Göttingen in Germany found three "super-earths" in a "habitable zone" around a star code-named "Glitzer 667C." The star is located in Scorpio, 22 light years from Earth. They had previously discovered that the star, which weighs about a third of the sun, has three planets, one of which is in a "habitable zone" where liquid water may be present. The latest research shows that this star has at least 6 planets, all of which are considered "super-earths", that is, planets with environments similar to Earth and usually 2 to 10 times the mass of Earth. Excitingly, three of the six planets are located in the "habitable zone" of the star system .

In the current situation of frequent natural disasters, many researchers are looking for a planet that is close to the earth's living environment and suitable for human habitation. However, NASA announced a few days ago that the United States announced the discovery of three "new earths" and the question of "livability" was strongly questioned by Germany. NASA has publicly stated that Kepler astronomical binoculars have observed two solar systems so far that are "most earth-like and probably most suitable for human habitation". One is as warm as Hawaii and the other is as cold as Alaska, which is 1200 light-years away from the earth. "At the same time, another NASA research team also announced that another" habitable planet "was also found further afield, The discovery of these planets also made many people think that "human beings are closer to finding similar homes." After the news came out, the British media immediately released a news call for humans to discover "Earth II" and "Earth III", but there were Many media have expressed a questioning attitude. Even if a planet thousands of light-years away from the earth is habitable, humans cannot truly migrate. But it is not our concern.

On November 20, 2016, astronomers found a "super-earth" orbiting a red dwarf at a distance of 32.7 light years from Earth. The planet is named GJ 536 b, and it is not located in the habitable zone of stars-with stars Maintaining a proper distance can maintain areas where liquid water exists, but it has several compelling features that provide important information for exoplanets surveyed to discover potential life forms.

This exoplanet is 5.4 times the mass of Earth, and the research team believes that there may be more exoplanets hidden near the planet. The author of the research report, Alejandro Surez-Mascareno of the University of La Laguna, Spain, pointed out that so far we have only found GJ 536 b in this planetary system, and we will continue to monitor and observe the star Whether there are other planets. Rocky planets usually exist in groups, especially for this type of spherical star, we can definitely find other low-mass planets in farther orbits, and this time is expected to be 100 days, at most within a few years.

Researcher Rafael Rapollo said that in order to detect this planet, we must accurately measure the speed of the star. Based on the latest ESPRESSO survey equipment, we can accurately move the speed of the star 10 times. At the same time, we can expand the search of terrestrial planets If possible, search for terrestrial planets surrounding this star and other nearby stars. ^[15]

At 2 a.m. Beijing time on February 23, astronomers announced that 7 earth-like planets were found around a single star 40 light years away from the earth, 3 of which were definitely located in the habitable zone, perhaps they all have water presence. The discovery broke the record for the number of "inhabitable zone" planets found around a single star outside the solar system.

The "habitable zone" refers to the region where the planet is far from the star. In this region, the heat transferred from the star to the planet is moderate, neither too hot nor too cold, which can maintain the existence of liquid water.

In May 2016, a small telescope located in Chile, TRAPPIST, first discovered the existence of planets in the star system, and was therefore named TRAPPIST-1. Subsequently, with the support of several ground-based telescopes, the Spitzer telescope in space confirmed the existence of seven planets in the star system.

Using the observation data from Spitzer, astronomers accurately measured the volume of these 7 planets, and estimated the mass of 6 of them. Knowing the volume and mass of the planets, they can get their density. The seventh planet, that is, the farthest one, is still uncertain, and it is estimated that it is a cold world.

The central star of this system has a mass of about 8% of the sun, a radius of about 11% of the sun, and a surface temperature of 2550K. The orbital radii of these 7 planets are smaller than the orbital radius of Mercury and are very close to each other. They are likely locked by the tide and will always face only the central star, so the climatic conditions above are very different from those on Earth. ^[16]