Are you ready to have your mind blown by a recent discovery that’s left the scientific community buzzing? A high school student, Wolf Cukier, has made a groundbreaking find that’s got everyone talking. While interning at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Cukier discovered a planet with not one, but two suns.
The Discovery of TOI 1338 b
TOI 1338 b is a circumbinary planet, meaning it orbits two stars. Located 1,300 light-years away in the constellation Pictor, this planet is about 6.9 times larger than Earth, or between the sizes of Neptune and Saturn. But what’s truly remarkable about TOI 1338 b is its unique orbit. The two stars in the system are different sizes, with one being 10% more massive than the Sun and the other being cooler and dimmer.
A Stable Orbit
Despite the complexities of its orbit, TOI 1338 b’s path is stable for at least 10 million years. However, its transits will cease after November 2023 and resume eight years later. This phenomenon is due to the planet’s orbit being tilted at an angle that will eventually cause it to pass behind one of the stars, making it invisible from our vantage point.
The Detection Method
So, how did Cukier and his team discover TOI 1338 b? The answer lies in NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS). TESS has four cameras that take a full-frame image of a patch of the sky every 30 minutes for 27 days. This allows scientists to detect the slight dimming of a star’s light as a planet passes in front of it.
| TESS Camera Specifications | Description |
|---|---|
| Number of cameras | 4 |
| Image frequency | Every 30 minutes |
| Observation period | 27 days |
Confirming the Discovery
To confirm that the transits were real and not a result of instrumental artifacts, the research team used a software package called eleanor. This software helped them to analyze the data and determine that the transits were indeed caused by a planet passing in front of the stars.
Circumbinary Planets
TOI 1338 b is the first circumbinary planet discovered by TESS, but it’s not the first of its kind. NASA’s Kepler and K2 missions previously discovered 12 circumbinary planets in 10 systems. These planets are unique in that they orbit two stars, rather than one.
The Challenges of Detecting Circumbinary Planets
Detecting circumbinary planets is a challenging task due to the complex orbits and varied stellar environments. However, TESS is expected to observe hundreds of thousands of eclipsing binaries during its initial two-year mission, which could lead to more discoveries of circumbinary planets.
The Search for Habitable Planets
The discovery of TOI 1338 b has sparked excitement about the possibility of finding habitable planets. But what makes a planet habitable? The answer lies in the concept of the habitable zone, also known as the “Goldilocks” zone. This zone is the region around a star where conditions are neither too hot nor too cold for liquid water to exist.
The Habitable Zone
The habitable zone is not a fixed region, but rather a dynamic area that depends on the characteristics of the star. A star’s size, age, and brightness all play a role in determining the boundaries of the habitable zone.
| Star Characteristics | Effect on Habitable Zone |
|---|---|
| Size | Larger stars have a wider habitable zone |
| Age | Older stars have a narrower habitable zone |
| Brightness | Brighter stars have a wider habitable zone |
Planetary Features
But the habitable zone is just the beginning. Planetary features such as atmospheric composition, magnetic fields, tectonic activity, and gravitational interactions with neighboring bodies all play a crucial role in determining whether a planet is habitable.
Conclusion
The discovery of TOI 1338 b is a significant find that has shed new light on the diversity of planetary systems in our universe. As we continue to explore the cosmos, we may uncover more secrets about the possibility of life beyond Earth. The search for habitable planets is an ongoing journey, and one that requires the collaboration of scientists and researchers from around the world.