First exoplanet Kepler spotted finally confirmed

First exoplanet Kepler spotted finally confirmed

AgenciesUpdated: Wednesday, May 29, 2019, 01:31 AM IST
article-image

Washington: Ten years after it was launched, the first exoplanet candidate spotted by NASA’s Kepler space telescope has finally been confirmed as a real world, scientists say. The exoplanet known as Kepler-1658 b is a massive hot Jupiter that whips around its star every 3.85 days, said researchers from the University of Hawaii in the US. From the surface, the star would appear 60 times larger in diameter than the Sun as seen from Earth, they said.

Kepler has discovered thousands of exoplanets since its launch in 2009, using the transit method — small dips in a star’s brightness as planets cross in front of the star. Because other phenomena can mimic transits, Kepler data reveal planet candidates, but further analysis is required to confirm them as genuine planets, according to the study published in the Astronomical Journal.

Despite being the very first planet candidate discovered by Kepler in 2011, Kepler-1658 b had a rocky road to confirmation.
The initial estimate of the size of the planet’s host star was incorrect, so the sizes of both the star and Kepler-1658 b were vastly underestimated, researchers said. It was later set aside as a false positive when the numbers did not quite make sense for the effects seen on its star for a body of that size, they said.

RECENT STORIES

Paris Viral Video: High Voltage Drama At Charles de Gaulle Airport As Migrants Protest Against...

Paris Viral Video: High Voltage Drama At Charles de Gaulle Airport As Migrants Protest Against...

Pakistan Horror: Man Strangulates Sister To Death In Family's Presence; Shocking Crime...

Pakistan Horror: Man Strangulates Sister To Death In Family's Presence; Shocking Crime...

Baltimore Bridge Collapse: Racist Posts Target Indian Crew On Social Media Following Collision

Baltimore Bridge Collapse: Racist Posts Target Indian Crew On Social Media Following Collision

'Undoubtedly Saved Lives': US Prez Joe Biden Lauds Quick Action By Indian Crew Members In Baltimore...

'Undoubtedly Saved Lives': US Prez Joe Biden Lauds Quick Action By Indian Crew Members In Baltimore...

Baltimore Bridge Collapse: 6 Missing Presumed Dead, Says Maryland State Police; Rescue Ops Underway

Baltimore Bridge Collapse: 6 Missing Presumed Dead, Says Maryland State Police; Rescue Ops Underway