It was discovered using the TESS space telescope, which scans 200,000 of the brightest stars near the Sun. The exoplanet is designated TOI-2018b and is classified as a mini-Neptune. It is twice the size and nine times the mass of Earth. The newly discovered world is 91.4 light-years from Earth and has a radius of about 2.27 Earth radii and a mass of about 9.2 Earth masses.
According to scientists, a feature of this exoplanet is its core, which is similar to Earth’s in its characteristics. It is assumed that it consists of a hydrogen-helium shell or a mixture of ice and rocks. It was also calculated that the exoplanet orbits its parent star every 7.44 days and its equilibrium temperature is estimated at 378 degrees Celsius.
Mini-Neptunes are a class of planets intermediate between gas giants like Uranus and Neptune and earth-like planets. As part of the study, astronomers have also discovered another object, which may be an exoplanet. Its size is about 50 percent larger than Earth, and its mass is estimated at no more than 3.6 Earth masses. However, further observations will be required to confirm its planetary status.
The parent star of exoplanet TOI-2018 b is 40 percent smaller and less massive than our Sun, and its age is estimated at 2.4 billion years.
The study of the new exoplanet is an important step in the study of space objects and the search for life in the universe. As scientists note, although this exoplanet is not Earth-like, its characteristics may help better understand the processes occurring on Earth and in other cosmic objects.
