Current Affairs
Daily Bits

A second atmosphere forming an Earth-like exoplanet observed by NASA’s Hubble telescope

  • Posted By
    10Pointer
  • Categories
    Science & Technology
  • Published
    26th Mar, 2021

Studies show that an exoplanet named GJ 1132 b has gained a second atmosphere by the volcanic activity after it lost its original atmosphere.

Context

Studies show that an exoplanet named GJ 1132 b has gained a second atmosphere by the volcanic activity after it lost its original atmosphere.

About the finding

  • The evidence of a new atmosphere was found using the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) Hubble telescope.
  • Location:The Earth-sized rocky exoplanetis located 41 light-years away from our Earth orbits.
  • Loss of atmosphere: It lost the atmosphere due to the intense radiation of the hot star it revolves around.
  • New atmosphere: The atmosphere is getting back due to the gases seeping through the cracks on the planet’s surface from the molten lava. The new atmosphere is constituted of:
    • The new atmosphere contains a mixture of hydrogen, methane, and hydrogen cyanide, which is toxic.
    • It also contains aerosol haze like Earth, as a result of photochemically produced hydrocarbons.

GJ 1332 b

  • It is similar to earth in size, density, and age.
  • Before cooling down both the planets had a hydrogen-dominated atmosphere.
  • The atmospheric pressure is also similar to the earth.
  • The main difference between them is that the exoplanet’s orbit is too close to the red dwarf star.
  • The planet is tidally locked (one hemisphere always facing the sun like Moon orbits Earth) to its Sun.
  • It completes one elliptical orbit in just a day and a half.
  • It looks like a cracked eggshell due to the gravitational pull of another planet.

Verifying, please be patient.

X