A team of astronomers has found evidence that two of the exoplanets orbiting the red star are “water worlds,” meaning planets with water making up much of their volume, according to a report by RT.
These two watery worlds, unlike all the planets we see in our solar system, are located in a planetary system 218 years from Earth in the constellation Lyra.
These planets contain water, which is the first time these planets have been confidently identified by scientists.
“We used to think that planets that were somewhat larger than Earth were big spheres of salt and rock, like extended versions of our own Earth, which is why we called them Super-Earths.” However, it is now clear to us that these two planets, Kepler-138c and Kepler-138d, are very different in nature: it is possible that much of their volume consists of water.
“It’s the first time we’ve seen planets that we can confidently identify as watery, the kind of planets that astronomers thought existed for a long time,” he explained.
Scientists have not found the water directly, because it is still hard from such a long distance. But research has shown that up to half of the planet must be made up of something lighter than rock and heavier than hydrogen, which is what makes this substance watery.
The two planets orbit the star Kepler-138, which is 218 years apart and located in the constellation Lyra.
Both planets have three times the mass of Earth and twice the mass of Earth, but are much smaller than that of Earth.
Planets orbiting Kepler-138 were first discovered in 2014, when they were observed using the Kepler telescope, and they were discovered using the transit method, in which scientists noted the slight dip that occurs when planets pass in front of their star.
The new research builds on some of NASA’s Hubble and Spitzer space probes, which allow scientists to determine how planets formed. This additional data led scientists to believe that the two planets were of aquatic origin.
Scientists explained that the aquatic worlds look nothing like the primordial planet we might imagine, with an area similar to that of Earth’s oceans at the start. In fact, these planets are so hot that water evaporates instantly, creating a thick atmosphere that can hide liquid water.
The two planets are also outside the habitable zone, and because they’re too hot for liquid water, they may not be habitable. But a new study has discovered another planet in the system, called Kepler-138e, located in the habitable zone.
The planet is small, far from its star, and its year is 38 Earth days, but scientists are still ignorant of its details, because it doesn’t appear to pass in front of its star.
