Science
Related: About this forumESPRESSO confirms the presence of an Earth around the nearest star
Date:
May 28, 2020
Source:
Université de Genève
The existence of a planet the size of Earth around the closest star in the solar system, Proxima Centauri, has been confirmed by an international team of scientists including researchers from the University of Geneva (UNIGE). The results, which you can read all about in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics, reveal that the planet in question, Proxima b, has a mass of 1.17 earth masses and is located in the habitable zone of its star, which it orbits in 11.2 days. This breakthrough has been possible thanks to radial velocity measurements of unprecedented precision using ESPRESSO, the Swiss-manufactured spectrograph -- the most accurate currently in operation -- which is installed on the Very Large Telescope in Chile. Proxima b was first detected four years ago by means of an older spectrograph, HARPS -- also developed by the Geneva-based team -- which measured a low disturbance in the star's speed, suggesting the presence of a companion.
The ESPRESSO spectrograph has performed radial velocity measurements on the star Proxima Centauri, which is only 4.2 light-years from the Sun, with an accuracy of 30 centimetres a second (cm/s) or about three times more precise than that obtained with HARPS, the same type of instrument but from the previous generation.
"We were already very happy with the performance of HARPS, which has been responsible for discovering hundreds of exoplanets over the last 17 years," begins Francesco Pepe, a professor in the Astronomy Department in UNIGE's Faculty of Science and the man in charge of ESPRESSO. "We're really pleased that ESPRESSO can produce even better measurements, and it's gratifying and just reward for the teamwork lasting nearly 10 years."
Alejandro Suarez Mascareño, the article's main author, adds: "Confirming the existence of Proxima b was an important task, and it's one of the most interesting planets known in the solar neighbourhood."
More:
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/05/200528115804.htm
LastDemocratInSC
(3,647 posts)And I have visited many places on that Earth and met many of the creatures who call that Earth their home.
This ain't news to me.
SeattleVet
(5,477 posts)doesn't that make all of the problems experienced on it - third world problems?
LastDemocratInSC
(3,647 posts)mopinko
(70,103 posts)brush
(53,778 posts)Last edited Thu May 28, 2020, 10:43 PM - Edit history (1)
JustFiveMoreMinutes
(2,133 posts)brush
(53,778 posts)rotating around it's sun so fast11 days as opposed to our 365what would be the challenges faced to exist there.
I also wonder how fast the planet rotates on it's own axishow long it's days are?
JustFiveMoreMinutes
(2,133 posts)I would ONLY speculate.. that the planet doesn't have seasons... I'm picturing that water world in Interstellar with the HUGE WAVES!
I think without the planet's own details.. the 11 hours definitely knocks it out of contention for advanced species and more on the microbial / cambrian period without an explosion in its future! <Wink>