The rare metal terbium was found for the first time in the atmosphere of an exoplanet, and researchers at Lund University in Sweden have also developed a new method for analyzing exoplanets, allowing for a more detailed study of them.
KELT-9b It is the hottest exoplanet in the galaxy and orbits its star at a distance of 670 light-years from Earth. Its discovery in 2016, and a new study in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics makes discoveries about the atmosphere of this strange hot ball. patience.
“We have developed a new method that makes it possible to obtain more detailed information,” says Nicholas Borsato, a doctoral student in astrophysics at Lund University. Using this, we identified seven elements, including the rare element terbium. “It is already found in the atmosphere.” For any planet outside the solar system.
Terbium is a rare earth metal belonging to the lanthanides. It was discovered by the Swedish chemist Carl Gustav Musander in 1843 in the Ytbier mine in the Stockholm archipelago. This substance is very rare in nature and constitutes 99% of its production. . Terbium in the world today occurs in the Bayan Ubu mining region in Inner Mongolia.
“Finding terbium in the atmosphere of an exoplanet is very surprising,” says Nicholas Borsato.
Most exoplanets are discovered by astronomers who measure the brightness of stars, and when an exoplanet passes in front of its star, the star’s brightness decreases. Thanks to the advanced measurement method, the researchers were able to filter out the signals. atmospheres. KELT-9bThis opens up the possibility of discovering more about the atmospheres of other exoplanets.
“Knowing more about the heavier elements, among other things, will help us determine the age of the exoplanets and how they formed,” explains Nicholas Borsato.
Exoplanets, or planets outside the solar system, are planets that exist in solar systems other than ours, and the first confirmed discovery in 1992 of a planet outside the solar system orbiting a neutron star, three years later, the first planet outside the solar system was created. The solar system was discovered with a star similar to the Sun, and since then, more than 5,000 exoplanets have been recorded. The presence of exoplanets often raises questions about the possibility of life elsewhere in the universe.
Determining the heavy elements in an exoplanet’s superheated atmosphere is another step toward learning how planetary atmospheres work. The better we know these planets, Nicholas Borsato concludes, the better chance we have of finding them. Earth 2.0 In the future.
