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Scientists have discovered nearly 80 new planetary candidates, out of nearly 50,000 stars, in a record two weeks after data from the K2 mission, the follow-up mission to NASA's Kepler Space Telescope, was available.
The concept of this artist represents some of the planetary discoveries made to date by NASA's Kepler Space Telescope.
Credits: NASA / W. Stenzel
The discovery was based on data analysis of the 16th and 17th K2 observation campaigns, known as C16 and C17.
It usually takes several months to a year for scientists to analyze light intensity graphs called "light curves" among tens of thousands of stars to find exoplanet candidates.
Using existing tools, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) researchers identified planetary candidates in just two weeks.
The quick search through the "lightcurves" of each of the 50,000 stars showed 30 "high quality" planets whose periodic signatures are particularly likely to be caused by planets in transit, 48 more ambiguous events that may be planets or false positives, 164 binary eclipses, and 231 other regularly recurring variable sources, the team reported in the paper published in The astronomical journal.
Such a quick search on the planet allows astronomers to follow ground telescopes much earlier than they would otherwise, giving them a chance to spot planetary candidates before the Earth goes through this area of sun. said Ian Crossfield, an assistant professor at MIT.
Such speed will also be needed when scientists start receiving data from NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), designed to monitor nearby stars in 30-day windrows and ultimately cover almost the entire sky.
In addition, scientists have also reported the discovery of a probable planet orbiting around the HD star 73344, which would be the most brilliant planet host ever discovered by the K2 mission.
The brightness of this star, combined with the speed with which its planetary candidate has been identified, can help astronomers quickly focus on even more specific features of this system, said Crossfield.
"We found one of the most exciting planets that K2 found in all of its mission, and we did it faster than any previous effort," he added.
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