Shocking revelation about 200 "Earth-like" planets outside the Solar System

About 200 exoplanets once thought to be "Earth-like" may be much larger than originally estimated, and unlikely to support life.

A new study led by Dr Te Han from the University of California at Irvine suggests that about 200 of the more than 5,000 "Earth-like" exoplanets discovered by the TESS space telescope over the years could be much larger than Earth.

Exoplanets are so distant and faint that direct observation of them is often impossible. Therefore, most of these distant worlds have been identified using the transit method.

This is done when the planet and its star are in a suitable position relative to Earth and scientists can look at the shadow the planet casts on its parent star.

According to the authors of the new study, measuring shadows sometimes leads to inaccurate estimates of the planet's size.

The study used data from the Gaia satellite to calculate how light interference affects measurements of planetary size, thereby providing a more accurate assessment.

The larger the planets, the less Earth-like they are and the less likely they are to support life as we know it.

The result is a setback in the search for habitable rocky planets, which is the top criterion in the search for extraterrestrial life.

However, the research also opens up new hope for the Hycean group of planets – ocean worlds that are not like Earth but can support life in a different way.

This discovery promotes the expansion of the criteria for searching for life, not just limited to planets "like Earth" in size or structure.

Source: https://khoahocdoisong.vn/tiet-lo-soc-ve-200-hanh-tinh-giong-trai-dat-ben-ngoai-he-mat-troi-post2149041514.html