Space: The Solar System
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Abstract on Transiting Exoplanet with Longest Known Year: 704 Earth Days Original source 

Transiting Exoplanet with Longest Known Year: 704 Earth Days

Introduction

The discovery of exoplanets has been one of the most exciting developments in astronomy in recent years. These planets, which orbit stars outside our solar system, have been found in a wide range of sizes and compositions. One of the most interesting exoplanets discovered to date is a transiting exoplanet with the longest known year: 704 Earth days.

What is a Transiting Exoplanet?

Before we dive into the specifics of this particular exoplanet, it's important to understand what a transiting exoplanet is. A transiting exoplanet is one that passes in front of its host star as seen from Earth. This causes a slight dip in the star's brightness, which can be detected by astronomers. By studying these dips, astronomers can learn a lot about the exoplanet, including its size, composition, and even its atmosphere.

The Discovery of the Longest Known Year Exoplanet

The exoplanet with the longest known year was discovered in 2014 by a team of astronomers using the Kepler space telescope. The planet, known as Kepler-421b, is located about 1,000 light-years from Earth in the constellation Lyra.

Characteristics of Kepler-421b

Kepler-421b is a gas giant planet, similar in size to Neptune. It orbits its host star at a distance of about 110 million miles, which is roughly the same distance that Earth orbits the Sun. However, because its host star is much cooler than the Sun, Kepler-421b receives only about 1/25th the amount of energy that Earth receives from the Sun.

The Longest Known Year

Kepler-421b takes a whopping 704 Earth days to complete one orbit around its host star. This is the longest known year of any transiting exoplanet discovered to date. By comparison, Mercury, the planet in our solar system with the longest year, takes only 88 Earth days to orbit the Sun.

Why Does Kepler-421b Have Such a Long Year?

The reason for Kepler-421b's long year is due to its distance from its host star. Because it is so far away, it takes a long time to complete one orbit. Additionally, the planet's orbit is highly elliptical, meaning that it is stretched out into an oval shape. This causes the planet to spend more time at its farthest point from the star, which contributes to its long year.

Conclusion

The discovery of Kepler-421b, the transiting exoplanet with the longest known year, is an exciting development in the field of astronomy. By studying this planet and others like it, astronomers can learn more about the formation and evolution of planetary systems beyond our own. As technology continues to improve, we can expect to discover even more fascinating exoplanets in the years to come.

FAQs

1. How was Kepler-421b discovered?

Kepler-421b was discovered using the Kepler space telescope, which was designed to search for exoplanets by looking for slight dips in the brightness of stars.

2. How far away is Kepler-421b from Earth?

Kepler-421b is located about 1,000 light-years from Earth.

3. What is the size of Kepler-421b?

Kepler-421b is a gas giant planet, similar in size to Neptune.

4. How long does it take Kepler-421b to complete one orbit around its host star?

Kepler-421b takes 704 Earth days to complete one orbit around its host star.

5. Why does Kepler-421b have such a long year?

Kepler-421b's long year is due to its distance from its host star and its highly elliptical orbit.

 


This abstract is presented as an informational news item only and has not been reviewed by a subject matter professional. This abstract should not be considered medical advice. This abstract might have been generated by an artificial intelligence program. See TOS for details.

Most frequent words in this abstract:
exoplanet (6), transiting (5), one (3)