Astronomers who are engaged in work with an exoplanet search device called Harps in La Silly Observatory in Chile, made the first direct observation of the visible light spectrum reflected from the exoplanets. These observations also revealed new properties of this exoplanet called 51 Pegasus B (51 Pegasi B), which rotates around the ordinary star, similar to the sun. 51 Pegasus B is the first in the history of the exoplanet detected in such a star, and its research results promise exciting discoveries using developed tools, especially a new generation, such as Espresso on a very large telescope.

Exoplanet 51 Pegasus B is located approximately 50 light from Earth in the Pares Constellation. It was discovered in 1995 and forever entered the story as the first confirmed Exoplanet, which was found at a conventional star like our sun. Previously, she was already discovered two planetary objects, but they rotated around the unfavorable star-pulsar. 51 Pegasus B is regarded as a typical hot Jupiter - class exoplanets, which are now known are quite common objects in the universe, they are similar in the amount and mass of Jupiter, but their orbits are much closer to the parent star. Since today, more than 1900 exoplanets in 1200 confirmed planetary systems have already been discovered from the momentary discovery, but on the twentieth anniversary of the opening of 51 Pegasus, the burst decided to return to it again to test some modern developments in the field of their detection.

Currently, an exoplanet atmosphere is developed and well developed, which is to observe the spectrum of light coming from a star and exoplanets passing through the atmosphere during the transit of the last one by the local sun disk. This method is known as transmission spectroscopy (i.e., "translucent). There is an alternative method when, on the contrary, the star passes in front of the planet, but in this case it is possible, first of all, to estimate the atmosphere of exoplanets.

A new developed method, just that was tested on the example of 51 Pegasus B, does not depend on the transit event, which means that potentially can be used to study a wider range of different exoplanets. This means that the radiation spectrum itself can be detected directly in the visible light, which means that some features can be identified that are not available when using other methods. The emission spectrum of the host star is used as a template to search for similar light-flow signatures, which is expected to be reflected from the planet as it moves on its orbit. This is an extremely difficult task, since planets are incredibly dull objects, even for super-modern devices, compared with their blinding parents. The signal from the planet is also easily sinking and in others, the same small effects and sources of noise. In the face of such great difficulties, the success of technology, which is applicable to the device HARPs, and the collected data on exoplanet 51 Pegasus B will provide extremely valuable evidence of the success of the developed technique.

Explains George Martins, the author of the work: "This exoplanet detection method has great scientific importance, since it allows us to measure the real mass and the inclination of its orbits, which, in turn, are very important to assess the completeness of the planetary system as a whole. It also allows us to estimate the reflection coefficient of exoplanets or albedo, which can be used to determine the composition of both the surface layer and the atmosphere of the planet. "

As a result of the research of exoplanets 51 Pegasus B managed to establish that it has a mass halice less than Jupiter, and its orbit is tilted in relation to Earth for nine degrees. This means that if you look from the Earth into the orbit of this exoplanets, it will be turned to us as if the edge. But still weeding at nine degrees is a great value in order to be able to observe transits on the star of its system. In this study, it is also important that the Harps device was designed to work in a bundle with other devices, but the fact is that the results were obtained using only a 3.6-meter telescope of the European Southern Observatory, which has a limited range of application, is very A good fact for astronomers. This is due to the fact that in the near future the capabilities of the current equipment will be completely blocked by future devices, such as VLT and the future European extremely large telescope (E-ELT).

Images

The drawing, which shows the exoplanet 51 Pegasus B, rotating around the stars such as the sun. Source: ESO / M. KornMesser / Nick Risinger

The location of the star 51 Pegasus in the PEGASS constellation is shown in a red circle. This star is so dim that it can hardly be seen with the naked eye.

There are only a few inhabitants of the Milky Way.

Star Barnard

This star is known for the estimated presence of the planets in its system, but they cannot say reliably. It is located at a distance of 1,828 PCs from the ground and became the subject of hot discussions back in the 60s.

Today, researchers argue that there is no planets there, but in 1963, American astronomer Peter Wang de Camp found that she has invisible satellites with masses of 1.26, 0.63 and 0.89 masses of Jupiter - they believed for 10 years . Astronomer never refused his conclusions, but Hubble studies in the 90s have established that it is impossible.

But there is one "but": the telescope did not rule out the possibility of existence of the planets in the barnard stars system. He only excluded the presence of large planets at a certain distance from the ancient sun. Therefore, further research is needed for a more accurate answer.

P SR B1257 + 12 A

It was this planetary system that became the first of the five years ago discovered outside the solar system. The first exoplanet in PSR B1257 + 12 A Pulsar continues to hold the status of the easiest planet itself - its mass leaves less than 0.0004 ground (or less than 0.2 plows).

Pulsar in size is a little more than its moon. The planets were found in 1992 due to periodic frequency changes. Pulsars are often called cosmic clock. But in PSR B1257 + 12 something went wrong. Scientists suggest that the cause of this can be 2 planets. After some time, another planet was discovered in this system.

51 Pegasus B.

51 Pegasus B has become the first confirmed exoplanet from the solar-like star 51 Pegasus. And she was not like a single planet, which was previously known to mankind. The distance from it to the Earth is more than 50 light years.

It makes turn around a circular orbit in a few days. 51 Pegasus B became one of the first so-called "hot jupiters". In 2015, a direct spectrum of optical radiation was obtained, reflected from its surface.

PSR B1620-26B.

This planet has a smaller name in pronunciation - Mafusail. It is the most ancient of the now famous exoplatant - its age can be about 12.7 billion years. And this means that it is a little younger than the universe itself. PSR B1620-26 B draws around a pair of stars - pulsar and white dwarf.

Glize 876 D.

Glize 876 D is at a distance of 15 light years. This is a small exoplanet, which is similar to the planet of the earth group. But do not rush to pack suitcases, because life would seem to hell there. On glyze 876 D very, very high temperature. Its discovery in 2005 became important for understanding that outside the solar system can also exist planets with a rocky surface.

Glize 581.

In the glyze system 581, four relatively small planet rotate. Two of them can even be suitable for life. Scientists suggest that the planet of Glize 581s was waiting for the fate of Venus - it became toxic. Another planet, which is located in the "life zone", is glyze 581d.

KEPLER-11 F

In the classification of small exoplanets there is a problem: scientists have discovered a number of planets that are more land, but less Neptune. What size means a greater similarity with the surface of the Earth or Mars? Or in what sizes do they become more like Irish Giants Uranus and Neptune?

The atmosphere of this gas dwarf reminds the atmosphere of Saturn. Similar objects in our solar system does not exist. Therefore, it remains only to guess what these worlds can like.

KEPLER-452 B

KEPLER-452 B MORE THE OTHER LOVE LOVE. Her star in size is the same as the sun, and the year there lasts a little longer than with us. And although the size of this planet is more terrestrial, but it is still in the "life zone".

However, there is a big problem - mankind never gets to it, because it is at a distance of 1000 light years. KEPLER-452 B by 1.5 billion years older than the Earth, and therefore her star could already make conditions unsuitable for life. But in the distant past she was a copy of our planet.

1RXS J160929.1-210524

1RXS J160929.1-210524 became the first planet, which rotates around the sun-like star and which was captured in the picture. Photo at the top - absolutely real and is not an artistic concept. Its mass exceeds Jupiter by 8.4 times, and the age is quite young. That is why she was able to fix it in the picture.

Unlike 1RXS J160929.1-210524, most exoplanets can be detected only with, for example, radial speed or other methods. This also requires very accurate optics.

The science

Space Studies - incredible adventure. Secrets of our universe always attracted us, and scientists did incredible discoveriesLooking into the most counted corners of the space.

However, the universe may be rather non-smart and even frightening place. Hardly someone wants to visit some of its most amazing places, for example, to visit distant mysterious planets and their satellites.

Carbon Exoplanet.

On our planet supported high level oxygen in relation to carbon. Carbon is approximately 0.1 percent of the volume of land, Therefore, we experience a disadvantage in carbon-based materials, such as fossil fuels and diamonds.

However, in the area of \u200b\u200bthe center of our galaxy, the planets are noticed much more carbon than oxygenSince so there the formation of planets was different. These planets were named carbon planets.

Morning sky carbon planet will never be crystal clear and blue. You will see yellow fog with black soot clouds. If you go down to the surface itself, you can see the sea from crude oil and resin. On the surface of these seas, bubbles are raised unpleasant methane. Weather forecast is also not comforting: gasoline rain goes. This is a place for our ideas. remind hell.

Planet Neptune

On the Neptune You can meet constantly blowing winds with reactive speed. These wind pushed natural gas clouds to the Northern Territory Big Dark Spot Planets. The stain is a huge hurricane, in size comparable with the diameter of our Earth. Wind speed on Neptune reaches about 2500 kilometers per hour.

The strength of such winds is far beyond what a person can bear. If we assume that one of us suddenly turns out to be in Neptune, it will break on the part in the blink of an eye This incredible threatening wind.

So far, scientists cannot say exactly where does this very strong wind of the solar system have so much energyDespite the fact that the planet Neptune is far enough from the Sun, and also has relatively weak internal heat.

Exoplanet 51 Pegasus B with unusual rains

Received nickname Bellerofon. In honor of the Greek hero, who tamed the winged horse of Pegasus, this planet gas giant approximately 150 times massive land and consists mainly of hydrogen and helium.

The problem is that the planet Bellerophone is roasted in the rays of his star at temperatures about 1000 degrees Celsius. Distance this planet from stars 100 times lessthan the distance from the ground to the sun. Extremely high temperatures at the surface cause the appearance of incredible winds.

Since warm air rises up, cold air is lowered down, creating winds that blow at speeds 1000 kilometers per hour. The incredible heat does not allow to preserve on the surface of liquid or solid water, however, this does not mean that there are no rains on the planet.

Unprecedented heat makes iron, one of the components of the planet, evaporate. Evaporation rise up, forming iron Couple Cloudswhich essentially resemble water vapor clouds on Earth. The only difference is that these clouds shed do not quite usually rain in the form of melted iron.

Exoplanet COROT-3B

The most dense and most massive exoplanet from the open today - Corot-3b. It was discovered using a Corot telescope in 2008. In size it is comparable to Jupiter, however 20 times heavier his. That is Corot-3b about 2 times more densethan lead.

The pressure that would be on a person walking along its surface would be insurmountable. With such a mass of the planet, a person would have weighed on it approximately 50 times morethan he weighs on earth. For example, a man who weighs on earth about 80 kilograms, on the COROT-3B planet would have weight 4 tons!

Human skeleton to withstand such pressure can not. It is like an elephant to you on the chest.

Planet Mars and dust storms

On Mars, dust storms can last long hours and cover the entire surface of the planet in a few days. These are the largest and the strongest dust storms in the solar system. The height of Martian dust vortices can achieve a height that exceeds the height of the Mount Everest on the ground, and the winds reach speeds about 300 kilometers per hour.

After the formation of dust storms sometimes required a few monthsto calm down. According to one of the versions, separated from the surface of Mars, dust particles absorb sunlight And heating the Martian atmosphere.

Warm air flows are heading towards colder areas, forming winds. Strong winds raise more dust from the surfacewhich, in turn, heats the atmosphere, amplifying wind and so on.

It's amazing that many dust storms of the planet are born in one shock crater. Plain Elda - The deepest shock crater of the solar system. Temperature on the bottom of this crater can be 10 degrees abovethan on the surface. This crater is filled with a large dust layer. The temperature difference feeds the wind action that raise dust from the bottom of the crater.

Hot Planet - Exoplanet Wasp-12 B

This planet is today considered the hottest planet of the universe. Its temperature is approximately 2200 degrees CelsiusAnd its orbit is closest to the star than any other orbit of famous planets.

Without any doubt, at such a temperature any substance will immediately burn In the atmosphere of this planet. This planet quickly overcomes the distance around his star: 3.4 million kilometers It takes approximately 24 terrestrial hours.

Planet Jupiter

In the atmosphere of Jupiter, storms are formed, which in size exceed the diameter of our planet. These giants cause winds that 650 kilometers per hour, as well as powerful lightning discharges that 100 times brighterthan lightning on earth.

Ocean of liquid metal hydrogen is splashing on the surface of the planet 40,000 kilometers deep. On Earth, hydrogen is a colorless transparent gas, but in the nucleus of Jupiter, hydrogen is transformed into something that is not on our planet.

In the outer layers of Jupiter, hydrogen resembles a gas that is found on Earth, but the deeper you go down to the surface, the higher the pressure. Ultimately the pressure becomes so high that it squeezes electrons from hydrogen atoms. With such extreme conditions, hydrogen turns into liquid metal, which carries out electricity as well as heat. Just like a mirror, it reflects the light.

Dwarf Planet Pluto

Pluto, who has already dropped out of the category of planets, is different extremely cold temperatures. Frozen nitrogen, carbon monoxide and methane covered as a snow blanket all surface dwarf planet For most of the plutonian year, which lasts 248 Earth years.

The ice from the White became pinkish brown due to interaction with the gamma rays of the distant space and the sun. In the afternoon, the sun delivers no more light and heat to the surface of the planet than the moon for the earth. The temperature on the surface of Pluto reaches the mark from minus 228 to minus 238 degrees Celsius.

Ecoplanet Corot-7 B and active volcanoes

Temperature on the surface facing the star of the planet COROT-7 B so high that allows you to melting breed. Scientists who simulated the atmosphere of the planet were determined that on this planet, most likely there are no volatile gases ( carbon dioxide, water vapor, nitrogen). The atmosphere is likely to consists of evaporated breed.

The atmosphere of the Corot-7 B planet has weather systems that, unlike the weather on Earth, cause rain from molten stonewhich fall on the molten surface. It is clear that under such conditions a familiar life can arise here. Moreover, the planet seems even more non-sensible, if we consider that it is volcanic nightmare.

Scientists are known that the Orbit of the Corot-7 B planet is not perfect round. Gravitational forces One of its two neighbors is pushed and attract the surface, creating friction that heats the inside of the planet. This leads to the activity of volcanoes over the entire Corot-7 B surface, which are even more active than the volcanoes of the satellite of Jupiter Io. This satellite boasts more 400 volcanoes.

Planet Venus

Everyone was known about Venus until the USSR launched her first successful apparatus during the space racing times. USSR remains single countrywhich managed to plant their devices on the surface of Venus.

The environment on the planet is so dry that probes can stretch on it. no more than 127 minutes, after which break and melt. Venus is considered samoa dangerous Planet Our system. If you find yourself on it, then immediately fall on toxic air and you will be crushed by the huge severity of its atmosphere.

Pressure on the surface of Venus 100 times morethan on the surface of the earth. Walking through Venus is still that walking under the kilometer water layer on Earth. Surface temperature is equal 475 degrees CelsiusAnd rain drops from high-concentrated sulfuric acid from the sky.

20 years ago, on October 6, 1995 Astronomers Michelle Major and Didier Kelos officially announced the discovery from the star 51 Pegasus exoplanets. Heavenly bodywho received the designation 51 Pegasus B, formally was not the first open exoplanet In history - a couple of years before that, several exoplanets were discovered from Pulsarov. However, the pulsars are the remnants of stars completing their life cycle And their planetary systems (by the way, there is still no accurate confidence where they come from) clearly can not be considered ordinary. But 51 Pegasus is quite another thing: a soluble star, which is from us at a distance of only 50 light years was just an ideal candidate for finding other worlds.


In addition to the fact that 51 Pegasus B is the first exoplanet open from the ordinary star, she also became the first hot Jupiter known to us. What is happening for us as a norm, in 1995 it did not seem to be at all - as a guideline among astronomers was only our solar systemwhere they first walked small stone planets, and then gas giants. 51 Pegasus B also has a mass in half of Jupiter and rotates at a distance of 0.05 AE. Around the star, which is less than 8 million kilometers, while Mercury is located at a distance of 58 million kilometers away. And z, such proximity51 Pegasus B makes a turn around the star in just 4.23 of the Earth Day, and the atmosphere of the planet is warm up to a temperature above 1000 ° C. Actually, thanks to such a small distance of 51 Pegasus B and managed to detect - a massive planet, turning around the star, as it would shake it, and we can observe the Doppler shift of its spectrum. Now this technique is known as the method of radial speeds.

Initially, the statement of Major and Kelos about his discovery was met with very big skepticism - because at that time everyone expected that other star systems would be similar to our, and 51 Pegasus B had the characteristics that seemed fantastic. But soon another pair of astronomers - Jeff Marci and Paul Butler - confirmed the existence of 51 Pegasus b. At that time, they also had a search for exoplanets using the radial speed method and had a chance to enter the story as people who found the first exoplanet from a regular star. However, their group proceeded from the ideas that massive gas giants should be at a very long distance from the star, and therefore assumed that it would require long-term systematic observations and calibrated the equipment for the search for the smallest oscillations in the spectrum - while in practice It turned out exactly the opposite.

In any case, 51 Pegasus B was only the beginning - the beginning of a new era in astronomy. After her, the news about the opening of the next exoplanets fell as out of the horns of abundance. The Space Telescope "Kepler" was put in the greatest contribution to their search, found over 1000 of the 1800 extraterrestrial worlds confirmed to date. Among them were hot jupiters, hot neptunes, superants, traditional gas giants, stone planets in the life area, planets in systems with several stars, etc .. New search methods have been developed for exoplanets, astronomers even managed to look into the atmosphere of several similar bodies. But this is only the top of the iceberg - new spacecraft are currently being designed and built, which will allow detecting smaller and more similar exoplanets to our land, study their atmosphere, and in perspective may even be able to identify signs there indicating the possibility of living. I can not even believe that so much succeeded in just 20 years.