[ad_1]
Scientists have successfully measured both the size and orbit of a giant gas exoplanet nearly 1,300 light years from Earth. Nicknamed GOT ‘EM-1b, which stands for Giant Outer Transiting Exoplanet Mass, the planet is about five times the mass of Jupiter.
Usually, scientists find it difficult to measure the size of giant gas planets, such as Jupiter and Saturn, because they are far from the stars they orbit. Yet this planet appeared in what researchers call our “solar neighborhood” in 2010, when NASA’s Kepler Space Telescope first discovered the object. Astronomers then noticed periodic decreases in the brightness of a nearby star, called Kepler-1514, which alerted researchers to the possibility of orbiting planets.
The University of California at Riverside research team found that the planet, officially named Kepler-1514b after its parent star, has an unusually long orbit of 218 days. “Taking 218 days to orbit a star is an order of magnitude longer than most of the giant exoplanets we’ve measured,” Paul Dalba, the astronomer who led the research, said in a UC Riverside statement provided to Space .com. Of the thousands of planets Kepler has discovered, only a few dozen have orbits of 200 days or more.
Related: 7 greatest discoveries of alien planets by NASA’s Kepler spacecraft
It is possible that knowing more about GOT’s EM-1b and the giant planets as it may tell us more about the solar system. “This planet is like a stepping stone between giant planets in our own solar system, which are far away from our sun, and other gas giants which are much closer to their stars,” said Dalba.
The discovery of a giant planet that has not come close to its star over time will serve as an analogue to the gas giants in our solar system and tell us how normal our solar system is in its stability and development. Astronomers believe that Jupiter could shield Earth from other objects in space that could otherwise impact our planet, giving our “blue marble” relative stability.
Unfortunately, it’s hard to find analogues to Jupiter and Saturn, so scientists are excited to learn more about GOT’s EM-1b.
Dalba and his team presented their research at the 237th Meeting of the American Astronomical Society and detailed their discovery in an article accepted for publication in the Astronomical Journal.
Follow Kasandra Brabaw on Twitter @KassieBrabaw. follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook.
[ad_2]
Source link