The Max Planck Institute has published a new research paper by scientists at Georg August University and Sonneberg Observatory. Researchers have revealed that there are 18 exoplanets that have not been discovered by astronomers before. It has been announced that 2 of the newly discovered planets have water and may contain clues about life in space.
Is there life in space? Scientists discovered 2 new planets
What is intriguing about the 2 discovered planets is their resemblance to Europa, a rocky core. It is stated that the other 2 planets are closer to their stars than Europa and its planet. For this reason, scientists believe that the surface of the planets is most likely clouded between liquid water and vapor.
The scientists stated that they are ideal for researching the atmospheres of the exoplanets in the system. To dig deeper, the researchers looked at system data captured by the Hubble and Spitzer space telescopes. Because the planets were so close, what astronomers call “transit timing variations” occurred. It’s worth noting that transit timing variations mean that the planet doesn’t appear at the time the orbit would normally take it there.
The researchers underlined that in this case, any data collected by looking at the transit of planets in a system will not be synchronized at all. However, by looking at data collected from the Hubble and Spitzer space telescopes after the discovery of puddled planets, the researchers were able to establish a seven-year timeline. This allowed more details about the worlds found in Kepler.