Astronomers discover two Super Earths orbiting nearby star

An international team of astronomers reports the discovery of two new "super-Earth" exoplanets orbiting a nearby late-type M dwarf star.

[{"selector":"#anim-6a015397-c05b-4e2f-b43b-48dc7a7d5a7c [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(4.062400678410292%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":10000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-4cecad1b-6e26-4a40-b505-dcf3dec0dc0d","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] The newfound alien worlds, designated LP 890-9 b and LP 890-9 c, are slightly larger than the Earth.

[{"selector":"#anim-232457ba-d1c9-4ea9-be02-3fd97add56d2","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-981ed5f2-d7a1-4521-92ed-61a9f5a4702c [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(20.543080362946217%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":10000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] "Super-Earths" are planets more massive than Earth but not exceeding the mass of Neptune.

[{"selector":"#anim-08bab3d3-454a-4d26-a7e8-0f0de91943b2 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":10000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-120e0c62-b222-4ecc-a8ea-09e8f9416ae6","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-f5fecee7-3f61-4282-8cac-cc55e4261e67 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(0%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":10000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] Although the term "super-Earth" refers only to the mass of the planet, it is also used by astronomers to describe planets bigger than Earth but smaller than the so-called "mini-Neptunes.

[{"selector":"#anim-15e6858a-cb36-40f1-9805-06e94cbe516c","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-c4e4f7f6-1f1a-40d2-bc8c-5bcfb9a01218 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(7.576530548964847%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":10000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] Astronomers led by Laetitia Delrez of the University of Liège in Belgium, have discovered two new planets of the super-Earth class.

[{"selector":"#anim-35fc0e33-9335-49ef-a39b-423c367e8861","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-834b6408-30f2-4b47-a680-5e488f0ec273 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(43.05965383777458%, 0, 0) translate(25%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0) translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":10000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.14,.34,.47,.9)","fill":"forwards"}] They observed LP 890-9—a nearby M dwarf star of M6V spectral type, using NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS).

[{"selector":"#anim-b1e934d5-3c23-468b-b899-b89727a661d7","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-c5c8226f-bd33-4cb1-bfd3-11214a7dd0c8 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(28.90624987200394%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":10000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] This led to the discovery of the inner planet, which received designation LP 890-9 b.

[{"selector":"#anim-71ef42cd-c8bc-407c-a04f-3b932ceaa801","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-3877b239-ef3c-4067-9d67-c40a106a232e [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(34.179687404002955%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":10000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] Follow-up observations of this system with the SPECULOOS Southern Observatory, resulted in the detection of a second longer-period transiting planet—LP 890-9 c.

[{"selector":"#anim-c7ea5cec-883e-475d-9255-d274e79e0336","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-04622782-7fcc-4d16-8148-61dbb75a86ca [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(0%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":10000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] the astronomers underlined that their discovery makes LP 890-9 the second-coolest star found to host planets after TRAPPIST-1.

[{"selector":"#anim-f4a519b1-24b6-4b96-b91c-4d4aac33363f","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-7bc6f8da-873a-4b2e-84da-11bbf055c958 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(18.84589602878036%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":10000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] They added that LP 890-9 c is the second-most favorable habitable-zone terrestrial planet known so far.

[{"selector":"#anim-926ed97d-a1fe-4fb8-95f7-655258337611","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-450a7db1-c8f5-4525-b0aa-df4ddad33d0d [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(35.93749983390987%, 0, 0) translate(25%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0) translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":10000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.14,.34,.47,.9)","fill":"forwards"}] The discovery of the remarkable LP 890-9 system presented in this work offers another rare opportunity to study temperate terrestrial planets around our smallest and coolest neighbors.