Thursday, May 18, 2023

The habitable lavaworld

Meet LP 791-18, 90 lightyears from us in the Crater constellation. South.

This was known to be a system with superEarths b (1.2 Earths) on the inside and c (2.5) on the outside. These were found by transits. Old Spitzer data has found, in the data, another signal between them.

As such this "d" planet is in the habitable zone; but it is probably tidally-locked. This time the locking and the radiation might not kill the atmosphere as TRAPPIST-1 has killed its innermost planet's atmosphere; because d looks to be a Europalike in terms of tidal flexing. It seems eccentric. So gas might replenish it.

I held off on poasting this one; today, h/t Nyrath, I figure we can talk stability. I don't give d long to live before b and c around d, chew d up (it's probably already happening as Zim notes). Still a nice thought tho'.

As to how Spitzer is doing nowadays: sadly it is a goner. Like Arecibo. But also like Arecibo plans exist to revival.

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