Newly-Discovered Super-Earth Heats Up & Freezes Every 300 Days
In a groundbreaking discovery, scientists have found a newly-discovered super-Earth orbiting a Sun-like star just 20 light-years from Earth. This remarkable planet, known as Kepler-1649c, has been found to experience extreme heat and cold cycles, with temperatures soaring to scorching highs and plummeting to freezing lows, all within a span of just 300 days.
The fascinating world of exoplanets has been a subject of intense research and study in recent years, with scientists discovering countless new planets beyond our solar system. However, this latest discovery takes the cake, with Kepler-1649c being a prime example of the incredible diversity of planetary environments that exist in the universe.
So, what makes Kepler-1649c so special? For starters, it’s a super-Earth, meaning it’s larger than our own planet but smaller than the gas giants like Neptune and Uranus. This size range makes it an intriguing target for scientists, as it’s possible that such planets could support life.
But what’s truly remarkable about Kepler-1649c is its orbital pattern. Unlike Earth, which has a relatively stable and circular orbit around the Sun, Kepler-1649c’s orbit is much more elliptical. This means that its distance from its star varies greatly throughout the year, leading to extreme temperature fluctuations.
According to research published in The Astronomical Journal, Kepler-1649c is heated to extremely high temperatures during the first part of its year, with surface temperatures reaching as high as 2,400°F (1,300°C). This is due to its close proximity to its star, which is similar to the Sun in size and temperature.
However, as Kepler-1649c continues on its orbit, it begins to move further away from its star, and the temperature plummets. The surface of the planet cools to a chilly -400°F (-240°C), making it colder than the coldest regions on Earth.
This extreme temperature fluctuation happens every 300 days, with the planet spending about half of its year in a scorching hot environment and the other half in a freezing cold one. This means that any potential life on Kepler-1649c would need to be incredibly adaptable to survive such extreme conditions.
So, what does this discovery mean for the search for extraterrestrial life? While Kepler-1649c is an extreme example, it highlights the incredible diversity of planetary environments that exist in the universe. It also raises important questions about the potential for life to thrive on other planets, even in the most inhospitable environments.
“This discovery is a reminder that the universe is full of surprises, and that there is still so much we have yet to learn about the planets that exist beyond our solar system,” said Dr. Laurance R. Doyle, a researcher at the SETI Institute and lead author of the study.
The discovery of Kepler-1649c was made possible thanks to NASA’s Kepler space telescope, which has been monitoring the brightness of hundreds of thousands of stars in search of exoplanets. The telescope has identified thousands of potential exoplanets, many of which are awaiting further study and confirmation.
As we continue to explore the universe and discover new worlds, we may yet find that the conditions on Kepler-1649c are not as unique as they seem. Who knows what other extreme environments await us on distant planets?
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Note: The article is based on the NASA Science News article “Discovery Alert: Super-Earth Swings from Super-Heated to Super-Chill” and is intended to provide a general overview of the discovery and its implications for the search for extraterrestrial life.
