Using data from NASA¡¯s retired Kepler space telescope, two NASA Interns discovered an exoplanet 226 light-years away in the Taurus constellation.
NASA
Spotted by a team of astronomers analyzing data from Kepler¡¯s K2 mission, this mysterious globe could either be a low-density mini-Neptune or a large rocky super-Earth, states NASA.?
The discovery was made by two students from the University of Chicago and University of North Carolina Asheville - Aiden Feinstein and Makennah Bairstow who were working as interns for astrophysicist Joshua Schlieder at the Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt.?
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¡°It's a very exciting discovery due to how it was found, its temperate orbit and because planets of this size seem to be relatively uncommon,¡± Aiden?Feinstein, lead author of the study, was quoted by Mirror.
According to a statement by NASA, the planet is estimated to be around 1.9 times the size of Earth and half the size of Neptune.
The new planet, K2-288Bb, orbits the smaller, dimmer star every 31.3 days.
The planet has been placed within the ¡®Fulton Gap¡¯ category because scientists believe a gap is created due to intense starlight breaking up atmospheric molecules.
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