NASA discovers six new exoplanets: Know interesting facts about super-Earths and rare hot Jupiter
NASA has achieved a significant milestone by confirming the discovery of six new exoplanets: HD 36384 b, TOI-198 b, TOI-2095 b, TOI-2095 c, TOI-4860 b, and MWC 758 c. This discovery brings the total number of confirmed exoplanets outside our solar system to 5,502, marking a noteworthy advancement in our understanding of the universe and the potential for extraterrestrial life.
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The journey of exoplanet discovery began approximately 31 years ago when the first exoplanets, Poltergeist and Phobetor, were confirmed orbiting the pulsar PSR B1257+12 in 1992. By March 2022, the number of discovered exoplanets had exceeded 5,000, reflecting significant progress in the field.
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- HD 36384 b: A super-Jupiter orbiting an M giant star nearly 40 times the size of the Sun.
- TOI-198 b: Potentially rocky and situated on the inner edge of its star's habitable zone.
- TOI-2095 b and TOI-2095 c: Hot super-Earths orbiting the same M dwarf star.
- TOI-4860 b: A rare “hot Jupiter,” completing an orbit every 1.52 days around an M dwarf star.
- MWC 758 c: A giant protoplanet orbiting a young star with a protoplanetary disk, providing insights into early planetary formation.
Detection Methods and Tools
These exoplanets were identified using a variety of techniques:
- Radial Velocity: This method measures the stellar wobble caused by orbiting planets.
- Transit Method: This technique detects the dimming of starlight as planets pass in front of their host stars.
- Direct Imaging: This method was used for identifying MWC 758 c.
NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), launched in 2018, has been pivotal in discovering thousands of exoplanet candidates. Other space telescopes, such as Spitzer, Hubble, and the James Webb Space Telescope, have also played
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