UC Irvine Discovers Larger Exoplanets Than Expected

In new research, University of California, Irvine astronomers found that over 200 known exoplanets are larger than previously believed. This discovery could impact the search for extraterrestrial life on distant worlds.

The study, published in the Astrophysical Journal Letters, revealed that the size of exoplanets may have been underestimated due to light contamination from neighboring stars. This means there may be fewer Earth-like planets than initially thought.

Astronomers cannot directly observe exoplanets and rely on measuring the drop in light when a planet passes in front of its host star. The research team used data from NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite and Gaia mission to analyze the true sizes of these exoplanets.

The findings suggest that the exoplanets previously considered Earth-like may actually be 'water worlds' or gaseous planets like Uranus and Neptune. This has implications for the search for life beyond Earth.

The study raises questions about the prevalence of Earth-sized planets and highlights the need for caution when interpreting satellite data. Future research will focus on reevaluating the habitability of planets based on their true sizes.

This research was supported by NASA funding. The University of California, Irvine, known for its academic excellence and research innovation, continues to make significant contributions to the field of astronomy.

According to the source: Mirage News.