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One of the most interesting and rewarding aspects of astronomy and space exploration is science. Although we have not yet begun to colonize the solar system or reach the nearest stars (if we ever have one), there are still many rewarding discoveries that make the science fiction fans' dreams come true. .
For example, using the Dharma Planet Survey, an international team of scientists recently discovered a super-Earth orbiting a star located just 16 light-years away. This super-Earth is not only the closest planet to the solar system, it is also in the same star system as the fictional Vulcan planet of Star Trek universe.
The study, which details their findings, appeared recently in the Monthly Notices from the Royal Astronomical Society, was directed by Bo Ma and Jian Ge, a post-doctoral researcher and professor of astronomy at the University of Florida, respectively. They were joined by researchers from Tennessee State University, Astrofisica de Canarias Institute, La Laguna University, Vanderbilt University, Washington University and Steward Observatory. from the University of Arizona.
For the purposes of their study, the team relies on data from the Dharma Planet Survey (DPS). This survey is based on the 50-inch Dharma Endowment Foundation (DEFT) telescope at Mt. Lemmon SkyCenter (from 2016-2018) to observe 100 very bright stars located near the solar system.
Using this data, the team discovered a signal from the triple star system of HD 26965 that indicated the presence of a super-Earth. In addition to being the first planet of its kind to be detected by the Dharma Survey, this planet is also the closest super-Earth to our solar system – making it an ideal case study for such planets. As Ge said in a recent press release from UF News:
"The new planet is a" super-Earth "orbiting the HD 26965 star, just 16 light-years from Earth, making it the nearest super-Earth orbiting another similar star under the sun. The planet is about twice the size of the Earth and revolves around its star with a 42-day period just inside the optimal habitable zone of the star.
As with most exoplanets, this super-Earth was discovered using the radial velocity method (Doppler spectroscopy), where the spectra of stars are monitored for signs of "swarming". . This movement is caused by the presence of planets that exert a gravitational influence on their respective suns.
Gregory W. Henry, a senior researcher at the University of Tennessee, was responsible for collecting accurate AST brightness measurements that confirmed the presence of the planet. As he explained, this system is already known to fans of Star Trek as where being Spock, the scientific officer on the USS Enterprise, came from.
"Star Trek fans may know the star HD 26965 by its alternative nickname, 40 Eridani A," he said. "Vulcan was connected to 40 Eridani A in James Blish's" Star Trek 2 "(Bantam, 1968) and Jeff Maynard's" Star Trek Maps "(Bantam, 1980)."
This is confirmed in a letter written by Gene Roddenberry (the creator of Star Trek) with Sallie Baliunas, Robert Donahue and George Nassiopoulos of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (CfA). Published in July 1991 by Sky and telescope, the letter stated that 40 Eridani A was home to the Vulcan planet. As they write, Vulcan revolves around the primary star while the two companion stars "shine brightly in the Vulcan sky".
Matthew Muterspaugh, Associate Professor and Director of the Center of Excellence in Information Systems of
"The HD 26965, tinged with orange, is only slightly cooler and slightly less massive than our Sun; it is approximately the same age as our Sun and its magnetic cycle is 10.1 years, almost identical to that of the Sun of 11.6 years. Therefore, HD 26965 can be an ideal host star for an advanced civilization.
Another thing that this latest discovery of exoplanets has done is that, on a clear night, its star can be seen with the naked eye. This is something that is not possible with most star systems hosting exoplanets that have been discovered so far. But thanks to its proximity and brightness, the HD 26965 can be seen in the southern constellation of Eridan.
As Ge explains, the discovery of "Vulcan" was also a success for the method and the instruments used to find it:
"This discovery demonstrates that fully dedicated telescopes driving high-speed, high-precision radial velocity observations in the near future will continue to play a key role in the discovery of super-Earths and even Earth-like planets in living space nearby. stars. I am very grateful to the donor of our Dharma Planet Survey, Mr. Mickey Singer, who recognized the importance of this project and has continuously supported this discovery and future discoveries.
Who knows? With the construction or launch of even more sophisticated instruments in the coming years, we could find many other planets that coincide with fictional worlds from popular science fiction franchises. Maybe there is a Pandora, Solaris or Arrakis (Dune) that just ask to be found!
Further reading: UF News, MNRAS
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