Astronomers discover new planets near stars very similar to the Sun: there are also water worlds

The TESS space telescope continues to search for new planets outside the solar system, namely exoplanets. More than 5,000 of these objects are considered potential planets, but scientists need time to confirm this. According to a study published in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics, astronomers have confirmed the existence of three planets in two different star systems and that they orbit stars very similar to the Sun, Universe Today writes.

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The discovered planets belonging to the super Jupiter and mini Neptune class orbit around stars very similar to the Sun called TOI-2141 and TOI-1736. The first star is 250 light-years away from Earth, the second is 290 light-years away.

Important

The star TOI-2141 is slightly older than the Sun in age but nearly the same size. The star TOI-1736 is about the same age as the Sun, at about the same temperature, but slightly larger in size. Moreover, this star is a double star, meaning it has a smaller companion.

Astronomers have discovered only one planet near the star TOI-2141, called TOI-2141b, which belongs to the class of mini-Neptunes.

What is known about planet TOI-2141b?

• It is 3 times the size of the Earth;
• 24 times the mass of Earth;
• It has a rocky core and an atmosphere possibly filled with water gas;
• The surface temperature is 450 degrees Celsius;
• The planet completes a complete revolution around the star in 18 days.

Scientists believe there is most likely a single planet in this star system.

In the TOI-1736 star system, astronomers have discovered two planets orbiting a larger star in the binary system. The planets were named TOI-1736b and TOI-1736c.

What is known about planet TOI-1736b?

• Scientists believe it is a mini-Neptune;
• It is 2.5 times larger than Earth in size;
• The planet is 13 times larger than Earth in mass;
• It takes 7 days to complete one revolution around a star;
• The surface temperature is 800 degrees Celsius.

What is known about the planet TOI-1736c?

• Scientists believe it is a massive super-Jupiter;
• The mass of the planet is 9 times the mass of Jupiter;
• Astronomers believe that this gas giant has many moons, one of which could potentially have liquid water on its surface.

The authors of the study say that there may be another third planet in the same star system. However, more data is needed to confirm or refute this hypothesis.

As I already wrote FocusAstronomers have discovered an impact crater on Jupiter’s moon Io for the first time, but it was not believed to be there. Scientists believed that Io was the only world in the solar system without a crater, but this turned out not to be the case.