Clues to more: Fifth exoplanet discovered in exciting star system L 98-59
The star L 98-59 is only 35 light years away, and several interesting exoplanets have already been found there. Now a particularly Earth-like one has been added.
Artistic representation of L 98-59 and its planets
(Image: Benoît Gougeon/UdeM)
Two independent teams have discovered a fifth exoplanet in the star system L 98-59, 35 light years away from us, which lies in the habitable zone and receives about as much radiant energy as the Earth. The University of Montreal has now confirmed the findings of a research group from Germany, which has also found evidence of another one in the system. This means that there may even be six exoplanets in this star system, which is of particular interest to researchers. This has also made the search for extraterrestrial life even more exciting.
“Fascinating” star system
L 98-59 f has now been confirmed by the team led by Charles Cadieux of the University of Montreal through a “careful re-analysis” of data already collected by terrestrial and space telescopes. According to the astronomer, the result is the most complete picture of the “fascinating” star system to date. All five known planets orbit the red dwarf star in orbits that are closer than that of Mercury around our sun. The two inner planets could therefore be characterized by strong volcanic activity, similar to that on Jupiter's moon Io. According to him, the third could be a “water world,” unlike any other in the solar system. All five also have almost perfectly circular orbits, which could help in the exploration of possible atmospheres.
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The fifth exoplanet at L 98-59 was also confirmed by three researchers from the Georg August University in Göttingen and the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research. Their work is available in advance but has not yet been independently verified. Like the team from Canada, they have determined an orbital period of around 23.06 Earth days for L 98-59 f. They state the mass of the celestial body to be three times that of our Earth, while the other paper speaks of 2.8 Earth masses. However, the group from Germany also found evidence of a sixth planet in the system, which would be found within the other five orbiting closely around the star. However, because it does not eclipse the star, its orbit must be inclined.
L 98-59 has been the subject of research for years; in 2019, the first three exoplanets were discovered there with the help of NASA's TESS space telescope. This was followed two years later by the detection of the fourth, and even then there was talk of indications of a fifth. By then it was already clear that it would be of particular interest due to its distance from the star. The fact that a planet with presumably moderate temperatures has now been found in such a compact system underlines the remarkable diversity of other planetary systems and is a strong argument for the intensified search for potentially habitable exoplanets in these environments, says Cadieux. His group's work will appear in The Astronomical Journal.
(mho)
