It is reported that a group of astronomers have identified signs of water on exoplanet HAT-P-26b. The researchers' guesses, however, have yet to be confirmed or refuted.
The discovery was reported by astronomers led by Kevin B. Stevenson. According to the researchers, the atmosphere of the neptune-like planet HAT-P-26b, which is located in the constellation Virgo, has traces of water vapor, and this may indicate the presence of water there. The conclusions were obtained based on data from the Low Dispersion Survey Spectrograph 3C (LDSS-3C) instrument located at the Chilean observatory Las Campanas, and in addition, scientists used data from the Spitzer space telescope.
In addition to traces of the presence of water in the atmosphere of the planet, the researchers identified a low concentration of potassium, and also answered questions related to the thesis about the absence / presence of clouds. Scientists have also suggested that the planet's atmosphere has a metallicity close to that of the sun. Research on HAT-P-26b will continue as scientists want to know more, including about water.
The exoplanet itself was discovered using the so-called. transit method, which is a method of detecting exoplanets based on observing their passage against the background of a star. When a planet is in front of a star, its luminosity drops. This allows you to determine the size of the planet, and in perspective, and such a parameter as density. In general, the detection of distant planets is associated with a number of difficulties, in particular, due to the low luminosity of these celestial bodies against the background of the parent stars.
The planet HAT-P-26b is located at a distance of 437 s. years. The mass of a celestial body can be compared to the mass of Neptune. As in the case of the already mentioned planet, before us is a gas giant. About half of the mass is in its core, and the other half is associated with a hydrogen-helium atmosphere. The exoplanet makes one revolution around its star every 4.23 days. The star HAT-P-26 itself is an orange dwarf with a mass and radius equal to 81% and 78% solar, respectively. The surface temperature there is 5079 K. This star also stands out for its "advanced" age, which, according to scientists, is 9 billion years.