Astronomers classify 2 exoplanets as true ‘water worlds’

A study by the University of Montreal (Canada) has classified 2 exoplanets known as true “water worlds” because their bulk consists of water. They orbit a red dwarf star 218 light-years from Earth in the constellation Lyra and are unlike any planet in our Solar System.

Joyful exoplanets they are nearly identical and were discovered by NASA’s space telescope Kepler in 2014, which is why they are so named. Kepler-138c and Kepler-138d🇧🇷 With the help of data from the Spitzer and Hubble satellites, astronomers have discovered that each is about 50% larger than Earth, with twice the mass of our planet but half the density.

This ratio ruled out the possibility of rocky worlds, as the researchers believed. It is worth noting that water was not detected directly, but suggested through models. Therefore, comparing their size and mass in simulations led to the conclusion that these planets must have been made of materials lighter than rock but heavier than hydrogen or helium, with water being the most common candidate.

However, unlike our hydrosphere, distant planets should not have oceans on their surfaces. This is because the temperatures of Kepler-138c and Kepler-138d exceed the boiling point of water, which has replaced the liquid state that dominates the Earth’s surface with a thick and dense atmosphere of vapor. Only under this atmosphere of vapor can there be liquid water at high pressure at depths.

Thus, the work published in the journal Nature Astronomy He points out that many known Super-Earths with a mass greater than Earth’s may also be water worlds. In this sense, the expectation is that new techniques and more sensitive instruments will be able to more thoroughly locate and study other planets of the same nature as Kepler-138c and Kepler-138d in the future.