Astronomers were able, using a telescope NASA Astronaut James Webb was able to obtain the clearest view yet of the surface of an exoplanet located outside the solar system, in a step that researchers described as an unprecedented development in the study of distant planets.
The planet has a name LHS 3844B (Quaqua)It is located about 49 light-years from Earth, and its diameter is about 30% larger than Earth. New data indicate that it is a barren, rocky world devoid of atmosphere, and similar in nature to a planet MercuryThe closest planet in the solar system to the sun.
According to the study published in the journal Nature AstronomyThe temperatures on the planet vary greatly, as the side facing the star reaches about 725 degrees Celsius, while the other side remains very cold, making it uninhabitable for life.
The astronomer said Laura Krydberg From the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy in Germany, the planet “resembles a barren, infernal rock closer to Mercury than to Earth,” confirming that there are no indications of an atmosphere.
The researchers explained that the planet’s surface appears ancient and is covered with a dark layer of crumbled rocks resulting from continuous exposure to star radiation and micrometeor collisions over billions of years.
The astronomer noted Sebastian Ziba Until the James Webb Telescope made it possible for the first time to study the geology and surfaces of exoplanets directly, after the focus had previously been limited to studying their atmospheres and chemical composition.
“Quaqua” revolves around a red dwarf star, smaller and less bright than the sun, and it makes a complete revolution around it only every 11 hours, while one side of it remains permanently facing the star, similar to the way the moon faces planet Earth.
