UNITED STATES: The retired Kepler Space Telescope, which ceased operations in 2018, has unveiled a scorching-hot solar system known as Kepler-385, harboring seven exoplanets orbiting a host star. This fascinating discovery sheds light on a unique planetary arrangement that challenges our understanding of distant celestial bodies.
These seven exoplanets, found by astronomers sifting through the Kepler telescope’s data, are situated in the Kepler-385 solar system. Unfortunately, they hold no promise of sustaining life due to the relentless onslaught of radiation from their parent star. This star, which is 10% larger and 5% hotter than our own sun, bombards its planetary entourage with an intensity that renders the surface conditions inhospitable.
The Kepler Space Telescope, NASA’s pioneering exoplanet-hunting instrument deployed in 2009, was instrumental in locating these distant worlds. Its primary method involved observing dips in brightness caused by planets passing in front of their host stars.
The timing and frequency of these dimming events helped determine the planets’ orbits and characteristics. Although retired, the Kepler telescope’s data continues to yield new insights, as evidenced by its recent discovery.
What makes Kepler-385 truly extraordinary is that it hosts more than six planets, a rarity in the known exoplanet catalog. These findings expand our knowledge of planetary systems and challenge our preconceptions about how these systems can be structured.
The newly uncovered exoplanets in Kepler-385 are not Earth-like. They are all larger than our home planet but smaller than Neptune. The first two planets in this lineup are believed to be rocky with thin atmospheres, while the following five, approximately twice the size of Earth, are presumed to have thick, gaseous atmospheres. These diverse planetary compositions provide further insight into the wide range of environments that can exist in the cosmos.
Jack Lissauer, a scientist at NASA’s Ames Research Center, commented on this discovery, stating, “We have assembled the most accurate list of Kepler planet candidates and their properties to date.” He added, “NASA’s Kepler mission has discovered the majority of known exoplanets, and this new catalog will enable astronomers to learn more about their characteristics.”
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