Exoplanets are more often than not compare to Earth if they are rocky , or to Jupiter if they are gaseous . Now , for the first clock time , a newly - learn exoplanet appear to be both gaseous and frozen , reminiscent of Uranus , though the Modern planet is four time as monolithic . The research was led by Radek Poleski of Ohio State University , and the paper was write inThe Astrophysical Journal .
This planet , located about 25,000 light - years forth near the configuration Sagittarius , orbits one of the stars in a binary system . Both of the stars are less monolithic than our Sun at 0.7 and 0.2 solar masses , respectively . The planet is about 18 AU forth from the star , very similar to Uranus ’s mean distance of 19 AU from our Sun . Because of this aloofness and the size of the star , the exoplanet is assumed to be icy , just like Uranus .
Spotting exoplanets can be tricky because the brilliance from the lead generally wash out any luminousness muse from an exoplanet . The easiest way to descry planets is to identify when they transit the superstar , parry out light . This proficiency works better with planets unaired to the star , not so much with those in the outer solar organisation like this “ exo - Uranus , ” which help give context to this discovery ’s importance .
alternatively of relying on the satellite pass through the whiz , astronomers identified it using a proficiency call gravitative microlensing . This takes place when the light from a distant principal is bent and focused due to the gravity of a genius between the light source and the perceiver . Light from a planet orbiting the lensing whizz can also become focused under rare circumstances , which is what happened with this especial Uranus analog . Certain weather condition were also in place to aver that the satellite is actually part of a scheme .
Image course credit : NASA / JPL
“ Only microlensing can detect these cold ice giants that , like Uranus and Neptune , are far away from their server whizz . This find demonstrates that microlensing is up to of describe planet in very wide orbit , ” Poleski said in apress freeing . " We were favorable to see the signal from the major planet , its legion sensation , and the companion star . If the preference had been different , we would have seen only the planet , and we believably would have called it a free - swim major planet . ”
Uranus and Neptune , our other icy elephantine satellite , both appear blue because of the large amount of methane ice that live on those planets . While gravitational lensing may have expose the exoplanet with a Uranus - similar domain , it does not provide any data about the major planet ’s actual composition . Still , it could provide valuable information about the formation and location of our polar giants , which astronomers have struggled to explicate .
“ Nobody knows for sure why Uranus and Neptune are located on the outskirts of our solar system , when our model suggest that they should have formed nigher to the sun , ” principal investigator Andrew Gould tell . “ One idea is that they did take form much nearer , but were jostled around by Jupiter and Saturn and knocked farther out . perchance the existence of this Uranus - corresponding planet is link to interference from the second star . Maybe you need some kind of jostle to make planets like Uranus and Neptune . ”
