What To Know
- 01, located 66 light-years from Earth, is an extraordinary world covered in volcanoes, emitting a fiery red glow reminiscent of images of the lava planet Mustafar from Star Wars.
- It involves observing a distant star and looking for periodic dips in brightness when a planet passes in front of it from our vantage point on Earth.
- Observations of the star revealed periodic variations in brightness that indicated the presence of a planet orbiting it.
A new exoplanet has recently been discovered, and it defies all expectations. TOI-6713.01, located 66 light-years from Earth, is an extraordinary world covered in volcanoes, emitting a fiery red glow reminiscent of images of the lava planet Mustafar from Star Wars. However, even it can’t compete with the extremes of TOI-6713.01.
A new world identified
The planet TOI-6713.01 was discovered thanks to the transit method. It involves observing a distant star and looking for periodic dips in brightness when a planet passes in front of it from our vantage point on Earth. If this is the case, we then observe a temporary decrease in the brightness of the star. These changes in brightness are then analyzed to confirm or not the presence of planets orbiting the star. In the case of TOI-6713.01, this method was used to monitor the star HD 104067, located about 66 light years from Earth. Observations of the star revealed periodic variations in brightness that indicated the presence of a planet orbiting it. Additional studies confirmed the existence of this planet, as well as other planets in the same star system. After this initial detection, instruments such as HARPS (High Accuracy Radial Velocity Planet Searcher) and HIRES (High Resolution Echelle Spectrometer) were used to measure variations in the star’s radial velocity induced by the planet’s gravitational pull. These measurements allowed researchers to determine the mass and other characteristics of TOI-6713.01, enriching our understanding of this fascinating exoplanet.
Credits: SPP 1992/Patricia Klein
A burning exoplanet
This super-Earth 30% larger than our blue planet orbits its star at an incredibly close distance, creating gravitational tides that heat its interior melt and trigger volcanic eruptions on its surface. Stephen Kane of the University of California, Riverside, describes this exoplanet as a ” Io on steroids“, thus emphasizing its extreme nature. As a reminder, Io, one of Jupiter’s moonsis considered the most volcanically active object in the Solar System. Surface temperatures of TOI-6713.01 reach 2,300 degrees Celsiusoutperforming even some low-mass stars in heat. What makes this discovery even more remarkable is TOI-6713.01’s elliptical orbit, which brings it dangerously close to its star. This extreme proximity creates what scientists call a tidal storm, where gravitational forces from neighboring planets twist and stretch the planet, providing it with the energy for its incessant volcanic activity. This discovery pushes the boundaries of our understanding of how planets interact with their stars and neighbors. While stars typically contribute to the heat of planets, TOI-6713.01 demonstrates that tidal forces can also play a major role in heating terrestrial planets. Details of the study are published in The Astronomical Journal.
