Astronomers have discovered a star system that hosts not just one, but three super-Earths and two super-Mercury. In fact, supermercurians are so rare that only eight such planets have been discovered so far.
A spectrograph operated by Espresso found two “Super Mercury” worlds in the system HD23472. Astronomers point out, these planets are extremely rare. The study, published in Astronomy & Astrophysics, investigated how the composition of small planets varies with the planet’s position, temperature and stellar properties. As part of the study, Susana Barros, an Institute of Astrophysics (IA) scientist who led the project, said the reason for observing this planetary system is to characterize the composition of small planets and transitions between planets. It explains that it is for researching Atmosphere and no atmosphere. Atmospheric evaporation may be related to star irradiation. “Surprisingly, the team found that this system consists of three of her super-Earths with significant atmospheres, and two of her super-Mercuries, the closest to the star,” the researchers said. clarified.
HD 23472 has five exoplanets, three of which she has less mass than Earth. Her five planets, measured using the radial velocity method, make her one of the lightest exoplanets ever discovered. Using this technique, we can detect small fluctuations in stellar velocities caused by orbiting planets. His VLT-mounted spectrograph ESPRESSO at the European Southern Observatory (ESO) in Chile provided the high precision that made the discovery possible. In terms of composition, Super-Earth and Super-Mercury are more massive than Earth and Mercury. The main difference between them is that Super Mercury contains a large amount of iron. This type of exoplanet is extremely rare.
In fact, only eight are known, including two recently discovered. Given that Mercury is one of the densest planets in the solar system, it is not clear why Mercury has a relatively larger and heavier core than Earth and other planets in the solar system. A large impact may have eroded part of Mercury’s mantle. Alternatively, Mercury is the hottest planet in the solar system, so its high temperatures may have vaporized some of its mantle. To understand how such bodies form, it is important to find planets like Mercury that are densely packed around other stars.
Interestingly, the discovery of two supermercuries in the same planetary system provides a useful picture for scientists. “With the ESPRESSO spectrograph, we have discovered for the first time a system with two supermercuries. This will help us understand how these planets formed.”One big collision producing supermercury The chances of the You need to check the composition of the planet.
Using the Extremely Large Telescope (ELT) and its first-generation high-resolution spectrograph ANDES, scientists can study surface composition or potential atmospheric presence for the first time. The final goal of the team is to find another planet like the earth. The presence of atmospheres allows scientists to better understand the formation and evolution of planetary systems. It can also determine if a planet is habitable. “We hope to extend this type of research to planets with longer cycles and more comfortable temperatures,” concludes Barros.