GJ 1252 b is a rocky, terrestrial 'super-Earth' that was discovered in 2020. Astronomers have given the exoplanet a closer look and found that it could have a very minimal atmosphere or possibly no atmosphere at all. The planet, which orbits an M-type star, is 'the smallest exoplanet yet for whic
Using Spitzer, the team detected a secondary eclipse. This occurs when a planet passes behind a star and the planet’s light is blocked. The planet’s light comes from its own infrared radiation , as well as light reflected from the star.focus on a number of different details in exoplanets. Many of these details serve as a comparison between the exoplanet and Earth, as Earth remains the only planet where we have confirmed the presence of life.
“We’re just beginning to learn how often, and under what circumstances, rocky planets can keep their atmospheres,” said astronomer and study co-author Laura Kreidberg, the director of the Atmospheric Physics of Exoplanets could be like, astronomers measured infrared radiation from GJ 1252 b as its light was obscured during a secondary eclipse. These observations revealed the planet’s scorching day-side temperature, which is estimated to reach as high as 2,242 degrees.
Given its extreme temperatures and low surface pressure, the astronomers on this team have predicted that GJ 1252 b likely has no atmosphere at all. This is currently the smallest exoplanet for which scientists have such a clear idea of its atmosphere.GJ 1252b is an exoplanet that was first detected with TESS and then investigated more thoroughly with Spitzer before the telescope’s mission ended in 2020.
“JWST observations in the infrared have the potential to reveal the surface properties of hot, rocky planets like this. Different types of rock have different spectral signatures, so we could potentially learn what type of rock GJ 1252b is made of,” Kreidberg added.
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