Astronomers Have Found The First Evidence For Tectonic Activity on an Exoplanet
6 MARCH 2021
You may not be all that familiar with planet LHS 3844b, but it now has its own particular distinction: It s the first planet outside of our Solar System where astronomers think they might have evidence of tectonic activity.
That evidence is a set of advanced simulations based on observations of the rocky planet, which is slightly larger than Earth. Importantly for this particular piece of research, it doesn t look as though the exoplanet has an atmosphere.
That leaves half of LHS 3844b permanently exposed to its sun and could mean temperatures of up to roughly 800 degrees Celsius (1,472 degrees Fahrenheit) on the daytime side, and about minus 250 degrees Celsius (minus 418 degrees Fahrenheit) on the night-time side.
Los volcanes pueden iluminar el lado oscuro de un planeta a 45 años luz
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Environmental News Network - Volcanoes Might Light up the Night Sky of This Planet
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IMAGE: This artist s illustration represents the possible interior dynamics of the super-Earth exoplanet LHS 3844b. The planet s interior properties and the strong stellar irradiation might lead to a hemispheric tectonic regime.. view more
Credit: © Universität Bern / University of Bern, Illustration: Thibaut Roger
On Earth, plate tectonics is not only responsible for the rise of mountains and earthquakes. It is also an essential part of the cycle that brings material from the planet s interior to the surface and the atmosphere, and then transports it back beneath the Earth s crust. Tectonics thus has a vital influence on the conditions that ultimately make Earth habitable.