[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.14.8″ _module_preset=”default” background_image=”https:\/\/www.ieec.cat\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/slider-comunicacio.jpg” max_height=”130px” custom_padding=”0px||0px||false|false” da_disable_devices=”off|off|off” global_colors_info=”{}” da_is_popup=”off” da_exit_intent=”off” da_has_close=”on” da_alt_close=”off” da_dark_close=”off” da_not_modal=”on” da_is_singular=”off” da_with_loader=”off” da_has_shadow=”on”][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.14.8″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”24px||11px|||” da_disable_devices=”off|off|off” global_colors_info=”{}” da_is_popup=”off” da_exit_intent=”off” da_has_close=”on” da_alt_close=”off” da_dark_close=”off” da_not_modal=”on” da_is_singular=”off” da_with_loader=”off” da_has_shadow=”on”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.14.8″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”||||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.14.8″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text admin_label=”Unitats de recerca” _builder_version=”4.14.8″ _dynamic_attributes=”content” _module_preset=”default” text_font=”|700||on|||||” text_font_size=”16px” header_font=”|700|||||||” custom_margin=”||10px||false|false” header_font_size_tablet=”28px” header_font_size_phone=”26px” header_font_size_last_edited=”on|phone” global_colors_info=”{}”]@ET-DC@eyJkeW5hbWljIjp0cnVlLCJjb250ZW50IjoiY3VzdG9tX21ldGFfb3JnYW5pemFjaW9uZXMiLCJzZXR0aW5ncyI6eyJiZWZvcmUiOiIiLCJhZnRlciI6IiIsImVuYWJsZV9odG1sIjoib2ZmIn19@[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_post_title author=”off” categories=”off” comments=”off” featured_image=”off” admin_label=”T\u00edtol i data” _builder_version=”4.14.8″ _module_preset=”default” title_font=”Cairo|300|||||||” title_font_size=”40px” meta_font=”||on||||||” meta_font_size=”16px” title_font_size_tablet=”35px” title_font_size_phone=”30px” title_font_size_last_edited=”on|desktop” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_post_title][et_pb_text admin_label=”Subt\u00edtols” _builder_version=”4.14.8″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”Source Sans Pro||on||||||” text_font_size=”24px” text_line_height=”1.1em” text_font_size_tablet=”22px” text_font_size_phone=”20px” text_font_size_last_edited=”on|phone” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_2,1_2″ _builder_version=”4.14.8″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.14.8″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_post_title title=”off” meta=”off” _builder_version=”4.14.8″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”||0px||false|false” border_width_top=”10px” border_color_top=”#406fda” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_post_title][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.14.8″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”||||||||” text_font_size=”15px” text_line_height=”1.1em” background_color=”rgba(64,111,218,0.15)” custom_margin=”0px||||false|false” custom_padding=”30px|20px|30px|20px|true|true” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
Caption:<\/strong> Gliese 12 b, which orbits a cool, red dwarf star located just 40 light-years away, promises to tell astronomers more about how planets close to their stars retain or lose their atmospheres. In this artist\u2019s concept, Gliese 12 b is shown retaining a thin atmosphere. [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.14.8″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.14.8″ _module_preset=”default” link_font=”|700|||on||||” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Two international teams of astronomers have discovered an exciting planet between the sizes of Earth and Venus only 40 light-years away. Multiple factors make it one of the highest-profile worlds for further study using the James Webb Space Telescope of NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA). Researchers from the <\/span>Institute of Space Studies of Catalonia<\/span><\/a> (IEEC \u2014 Institut d\u2019Estudis Espacials de Catalunya) at the <\/span>Institute of Space Sciences<\/span><\/a> (ICE-CSIC) have participated in this research with one of the teams, whose results appear in The Astrophysical Journal Letters.<\/span><\/p>\n Gliese 12 b is the name of the new exoplanet, discovered by an international team led by scientists from the <\/span>Astrobiology Center<\/span><\/a> in Japan, the <\/span>University of Tokyo<\/span><\/a>, the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, and Tokyo Institute of Technology through a collaboration between NASA\u2019s <\/span>TESS<\/span><\/a> (Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite) campaign and a strategic survey programme (SSP) of the <\/span>Subaru Telescope<\/span><\/a>. Capturing transits\u2014brief, regular dimmings of stars caused by the passage of orbiting worlds\u2014is one of the most common methods to detect exoplanets.<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.14.8″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.14.8″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.14.8″ _module_preset=”default” link_font=”|700|||on||||” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve found the nearest, transiting, temperate, Earth-size world located to date,\u201d said Masayuki Kuzuhara<\/b>, a project assistant professor at the Astrobiology Center in Tokyo, who co-led one research team with Akihiko Fukui<\/b>, a project assistant professor at the University of Tokyo. \u201cAlthough we don\u2019t yet know whether it possesses an atmosphere, we\u2019ve been thinking of it as an exo-Venus, with similar size and energy received from its star as our planetary neighbour in the solar system.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.14.8″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.14.8″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.14.8″ _module_preset=”default” header_2_font=”|700|||||||” header_2_font_size=”25px” header_2_font_size_tablet=”23px” header_2_font_size_phone=”23px” header_2_font_size_last_edited=”on|phone” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.14.8″ _module_preset=”default” link_font=”|700|||on||||” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n The host star, called Gliese 12, is a cool red dwarf located almost 40 light-years away in the constellation Pisces. The star is only about 27% of the Sun\u2019s size, with about 60% of the Sun\u2019s surface temperature. The TESS team detected signs of a planet candidate with a size similar to Earth and reported the detection in April, 2023. This report motivated the astronomers to start the follow-up observations for validating the candidate signal with multi-colour cameras developed by the Astrobiology Center (ABC) and the University of Tokyo.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Juan Carlos Morales<\/b> and <\/span>Ignasi Ribas<\/b>, both IEEC researchers at the ICE-CSIC, have collaborated with the Japanese team. \u201cWe were able to constrain the mass of the planet to be less than 3.9 Earth masses by combining measurements taken with Subaru and those with <\/span>CARMENES<\/span><\/a> on the 3.5 m telescope of the <\/span>Calar Alto Observatory<\/span><\/a>,\u201d explains Juan Carlos Morales.<\/span><\/p>\n The new world, Gliese 12 b, orbits every 12.8 days and is Earth\u2019s size or slightly smaller\u2014comparable to Venus. Assuming it has no atmosphere, the planet has a surface temperature estimated at around 42 \u00baC. <\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.14.8″ _module_preset=”default” text_text_color=”#FFFFFF” text_font_size=”21px” text_line_height=”1.1em” background_color=”#406fda” text_orientation=”center” width=”70%” width_tablet=”70%” width_phone=”70%” width_last_edited=”on|desktop” module_alignment=”center” custom_padding=”40px|50px|40px|50px|true|true” custom_padding_tablet=”40px|50px|40px|50px|true|true” custom_padding_phone=”30px|20px|30px|20px|true|true” custom_padding_last_edited=”on|phone” text_font_size_tablet=”21px” text_font_size_phone=”19px” text_font_size_last_edited=”on|desktop” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n \u201cWe were able to constrain the mass of the planet to be less than 3.9 Earth masses by combining measurements taken with Subaru and those with CARMENES on the 3.5 m telescope of the Calar Alto Observatory,\u201d explains Juan Carlos Morales.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.14.8″ _module_preset=”default” link_font=”|700|||on||||” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n The diminutive sizes and masses of red dwarf stars make them ideal for finding Earth-size planets<\/b>. A smaller star means a greater decrease in brightness each time a planet passes in front of it and a smaller mass means that an orbiting planet can produce a greater wobble, known as \u201creflex motion\u201d, of the star. These effects make smaller planets easier to detect.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The lower luminosities of red dwarf stars also means their habitable zones\u2014the range of orbital distances where liquid water could exist on a planet\u2019s surface\u2014lie closer to them. This makes it easier to detect transiting planets within habitable zones around red dwarfs than those around stars emitting more energy.<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.14.8″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.14.8″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.14.8″ _module_preset=”default” header_2_font=”|700|||||||” header_2_font_size=”25px” header_2_font_size_tablet=”23px” header_2_font_size_phone=”23px” header_2_font_size_last_edited=”on|phone” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.14.8″ _module_preset=”default” link_font=”|700|||on||||” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n The distance separating Gliese 12 and the new planet is just 7% of the distance between Earth and the Sun. The planet receives 1.6 times more energy from its star as Earth does from the Sun and about 85% of what Venus experiences.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cGliese 12 b represents one of the best targets to study whether Earth-size planets orbiting cool stars can retain their atmospheres, a crucial step to advance our understanding of habitability on planets across our galaxy,\u201d said<\/span> Shishir Dholakia<\/b>, a doctoral student at the <\/span>Centre for Astrophysics<\/span><\/a> at the University of Southern Queensland in Australia. He co-led a different research team with<\/span> Larissa Palethorpe<\/b>, a doctoral student at the <\/span>University of Edinburgh<\/span><\/a> and <\/span>University College London<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/www.ieec.cat\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Gl12b_Earth_Comparison1.jpg” title_text=”Gl12b_Earth_Comparison(1)” _builder_version=”4.14.8″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”||2px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.14.8″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”||||||||” text_font_size=”15px” text_line_height=”1.1em” background_color=”rgba(64,111,218,0.15)” custom_margin=”0px||||false|false” custom_padding=”30px|20px|30px|20px|true|true” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Caption:<\/strong> Gliese 12 b\u2019s estimated size may be as large as Earth or slightly smaller\u2014comparable to Venus in our solar system. This artist\u2019s concept compares Earth with different possible Gliese 12 b interpretations, from no atmosphere to a thick Venus-like one. Follow-up observations with the James Webb Space Telescope will help determine just how much atmosphere the planet retains as well as its composition. [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.14.8″ _module_preset=”default” link_font=”|700|||on||||” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n \u201cThis is a unique candidate for further atmospheric study that may help unlock some aspects of our own solar system\u2019s evolution,\u201d Palethorpe explained. \u201cEarth remains habitable, but Venus does not due to its complete loss of water. Gliese 12 b\u2019s atmosphere could teach us a lot about the habitability pathways planets take as they develop.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n One important factor in retaining an atmosphere is the storminess of its star. Red dwarfs tend to be magnetically active, resulting in frequent, powerful X-ray flares. However, analyses by both teams conclude that Gliese 12 shows no signs of extreme behaviour, which could help preserve the planet\u2019s atmosphere.<\/span><\/p>\n During a transit, <\/span>the host star\u2019s light passes through any atmosphere, effectively sampling it<\/b>. Different gas molecules absorb different colours, so the transit provides a set of chemical fingerprints that can be detected by telescopes like Webb.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWe know of only a handful of systems to date that are both close enough to us and meet other criteria needed for this kind of study, called transmission spectroscopy, using current facilities,\u201d said <\/span>Michael McElwain<\/b>, a research astrophysicist at <\/span>NASA\u2019s Goddard Space Flight Center<\/span><\/a> in Greenbelt, Maryland, and a co-author of the Kuzuhara paper. \u201cTo better understand the diversity of atmospheres around temperate planets similar to Earth, we need more examples like Gliese 12 b,\u201d he concludes.<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.14.8″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”30px||||false|false” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.14.8″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_divider color=”#406fda” _builder_version=”4.14.8″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”||10px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_divider][et_pb_text admin_label=”M\u00e9s informaci\u00f3” _builder_version=”4.14.8″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”Cairo|700|||||||” text_text_color=”#406fda” text_font_size=”20px” custom_margin=”||10px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n More information<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.14.8″ _module_preset=”default” text_font_size=”16px” text_line_height=”1.1em” link_font=”|700|||on||||” custom_margin=”20px||||false|false” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n This research is presented in a paper entitled \u201c<\/span>Gliese 12 b: A Temperate Earth-sized Planet at 12 pc Ideal for Atmospheric Transmission Spectroscopy<\/span><\/a>\u201d, by Masayuki Kuzuhara, Akihiko Fukui <\/span>et al. <\/span><\/i>(including Juan Carlos Morales and Ignasi Ribas),<\/span> which has appeared in the journal The Astrophysical Journal Letters on 23 May 2024.<\/span><\/p>\n The Dholakia and Palethorpe findings were published in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society on the same day.<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.14.8″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”||||false|false” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.14.8″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_divider color=”#406fda” _builder_version=”4.14.8″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”||10px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_divider][et_pb_text admin_label=”Enlla\u00e7os” _builder_version=”4.14.8″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”Cairo|700|||||||” text_text_color=”#406fda” text_font_size=”20px” custom_margin=”||10px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Links<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.14.8″ _module_preset=”default” text_font_size=”16px” text_line_height=”1.1em” link_font=”|700|||on|||#1a1140|” link_text_color=”#1a1140″ link_line_height=”1.4em” custom_margin=”20px||||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.14.8″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”||||false|false” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.14.8″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_divider color=”#406fda” _builder_version=”4.14.8″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”||10px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_divider][et_pb_text admin_label=”Contactes” _builder_version=”4.14.8″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”Cairo|700|||||||” text_text_color=”#406fda” text_font_size=”20px” custom_margin=”||10px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Contacts<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”2_5,3_5″ admin_label=”Row” _builder_version=”4.14.8″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”0px||||false|false” custom_padding=”0px||||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”2_5″ _builder_version=”4.14.8″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”|||20px|false|false” border_width_left=”1px” border_color_left=”#406fda” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.14.8″ _module_preset=”default” text_font_size=”16px” text_line_height=”1.1em” link_font=”|700|||on|||#1a1140|” link_text_color=”#1a1140″ link_line_height=”1.4em” header_4_font=”|700|||||||” header_4_text_color=”#1a1140″ custom_margin=”||||false|false” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
Credits:<\/strong> NASA\/JPL-Caltech\/R. Hurt (Caltech-IPAC).<\/span><\/p>\nDetecting a new world<\/h2>\n
A great candidate for atmospheric study<\/h2>\n
Credits:<\/strong> NASA\/JPL-Caltech\/R. Hurt (Caltech-IPAC).<\/span><\/p>\n\n
IEEC Communication Office<\/h4>\n