The new discovery gives better insight into the formation of planets and gives people more opportunities to find Earth-like worlds.
Using two of the most advanced telescope systems, the Keck infrared-optical telescope (located in Hawaii – USA) and the Hubble Space Telescope, scientists analyzed white dwarf spectral data from 18 planetary systems exotic located 456 light years from Earth. .
White (distant, white) dwarf star attracts material from planets orbiting a dust disk – NASA graphic
Lead author of the study – scientist Siyi Xu (Gemini Observatory, Hawaii – USA) said he found many “earth materials” on these white dwarfs, which are elements that can be found on earth and that make up our planet.
This suggests that the planets orbiting these white dwarfs also possess terrestrial material.
The reason why a star can carry these materials is that when it enters a cold phase it pulls matter from planets, asteroids, comets … that once existed around itself, creating a disk of dust is like a disk of dust around Saturn.
In these dust disks, the team discovered many familiar elements and substances: calcium, magnesium, silicon … and even water.
Upon closer inspection, they identified many planets in these 18 systems that could hold a lot of water, just like our earth has vast oceans.
The team says it continues to better determine the chemical makeup of planets that are believed to contain the most Earth material.
The research was just presented at the Goldschmidt geochemistry conference held in Boston – USA and received many positive reviews from astronomers – planetary science.
Sara Seager, professor of planetary science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (USA), who was not involved in the study, commented: “It’s amazing how hard there is evidence that planets look like the Earth is popular “.
According to Professor Seager, the results strengthen scientists’ belief that a planet resembles an earth, orbiting a star that is not far away and waiting to be found.
