Astronomers Have Discovered An Exoplanet That Is Completely Covered With Volcanoes
The find was named LP 791-18 d. According to NASA scientists, it can be subject to volcanic eruptions as often as Jupiter’s moon Io. Recall: it is considered the most volcanically active space body in the solar system.
LP 791-18 d orbits a small red dwarf about 90 light-years away in the southern constellation Crater. Its dimensions are either comparable to the Earth, or slightly larger than our planet. An interesting fact: only one part of this volcanic world faces the star, the other part is constantly in the shadow.
“The day side is likely to be too hot for liquid water to exist on the surface. But the level of volcanic activity that we suspect is happening all over the planet could be supporting the atmosphere. That, in turn, allows water to condense on the night side, ”explains Bjorn Bennecke, one of the authors of the study.
Scientists compare the exoplanet with one of the satellites of Jupiter. According to their assumptions, LP 791-18 d may be subject to volcanic eruptions as often as the satellite of Io, the most volcanically active body in our solar system. Scientists managed to find and start studying the planet thanks to data from the TESS satellite and the Spitzer space telescope.
NASA, ESA and CSA are already planning to turn on the infrared instruments of the James Webb Space Telescope at LP 791-18 c.
