The exoplanet Enaiposha, or GJ 1214 b, is a hazy world orbiting a red dwarf star about 47 light-years from Earth. Previously likened to a mini-Neptune, in-depth observations obtained using JWST now suggest the exoplanet is more like Venus – only much larger.
This would make it the first known of its kind, a category astronomers are calling 'Super-Venus'.
Enaiposha is one of the most studied exoplanets in the sky. It was discovered in 2009, with a mass and radius that put it somewhere between Earth and Neptune. Subsequent observations revealed a substantial atmosphere.
Exoplanets in this mass regime generally fall into one of two categories. The Super-Earths are thought to be terrestrial exoplanets larger than Earth, hosting hydrogen-rich atmospheres, if they have one at all.
So-called mini-Neptunes can be of a similar size, but their composition is significantly different, with denser atmospheres rich in hydrogen and helium, and liquid oceans possibly wrapping their surfaces. Mini-Neptunes are the most numerous of the more than 5,800 confirmed exoplanets at time of writing, which is interesting, because we have nothing directly analogous to them here in our Solar System.
Source: www.sciencealert.com
No comments:
Post a Comment