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New research suggests that over 200 known exoplanets are likely considerably larger than previously estimated. this finding, lead by doctoral student Te Han at UC Irvine, could alter how astronomers search for extraterrestrial life.
The study, published in Astrophysical Journal Letters, explains that astronomers typically detect exoplanets by observing the slight dip in a star’s light when a planet passes in front of it. Though, the team discovered that light from neighboring stars can “contaminate” these observations, making the transiting planet appear smaller than it actually is.
By analyzing data from NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) and using observations from the Gaia mission to account for this contamination, Han’s team developed a model to correct these measurements. Their findings indicate that many exoplanets are systematically larger than initially thought.
This has a crucial implication for the search for Earth-like planets. The number of planets previously considered similar in size to Earth was already small, and with this new understanding, all of them are now believed to be larger. Instead of being rocky planets like Earth,these exoplanets are more likely to be “water worlds” (covered by a single ocean) or larger gaseous planets.While water worlds could potentially harbor life, they might lack the specific features that support life as we no it on Earth. This revelation will influence prioritization for follow-up observations with the James Webb Space Telescope and the ongoing discussion about the prevalence of water worlds in our galaxy.
The researchers plan to re-examine previously identified exoplanets and advise other scientists to be cautious when interpreting data from missions like TESS.
