NASA's TESS reveals 'lightest' exoplanet ever with a year lasting around 8 hours

ding to list of strangest exoplanets ever found, astromers have discovered a new one which is lightest and possibly hottest one ever. Dubbed GJ 367b, exoplanet is located 31 light-years away from our sun and orbits a small red dwarf star in just 7.7 hours, which means that one year on this planet is shorter than a full day here on Earth. Besides, rocky planet also has several mind-bending features as it is just 70% size of Earth and is nearly half as massive which makes it lightest planet ever discovered, researchers report in ir study published on December 2 in Science.

Astromer Kristine Wei Fun, co-author of study said as per .Com, "We alrey kw a few of se, but ir origins are currently unkwn. By measuring precise fundamental properties of USP (ultra-short period) planet, we can get a glimpse of system's formation and evolution history".

TESS marks ar significant discovery

Researchers from German Aero Center's (DLR) Institute of Planetary Research referred data from NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) which was launched in 2018 to hunt for exoplanets. technique this satellite uses for tracing exoplanets around a star is called "transit method", where it detects dip in light emerging from a star whenever a planet crosses through its face.

Scientists confirmed ultra-short period feature of planet GJ 367b after y ted a dip in light emerging from red dwarf exoplanet is orbiting. Owing to its closeness to red dwarf, planet GJ 367b endures extreme temperatures on its surface despite star being small and dim. surface temperature on this exoplanet reaches a massive 1,500 degrees Celsius (2,732 degrees Fahrenheit) during day and creates an environment that can melt even metals. Although origin of this planet is unkwn, findings suggest that 86% of planet's interior is heavily rich in iron.

" high density indicates planet is dominated by an iron core. se properties are similar to those of Mercury, with its disproportionately large iron and nickel core that differentiates it from or terrestrial bodies in solar system",  co-le author Szilárd Csizmia said in a report as per .com. Meanwhile, exoplanet will continue to be an interesting subject for scientists who believe that studying it and its star might shed light on new planets and explain ir origins.

Im: Twitter/DLR_de