Astronomers discover extraordinary exoplanet in Kepler-10 System

The Kepler-10 system is a real kingdom of cosmic extremes. It was here that we first discovered a rocky world the size of the Earth, half burnt by the rays of a star (Kepler-10 b). New data from another planet in the same system, Kepler-10 c, show that we are looking at an object so unusual that astronomers have never seen anything like it before.

IFLScience writes about it.

What is unique about the exoplanet Kepler-10 c?

Based on observations using state-of-the-art instruments at the Italian Telescopio Nazionale Galileo telescope (Canary Islands), the researchers have refined the parameters of Kepler-10 c. This sub-Neptunian planet has a radius 2.35 times larger than the Earth's and a volume 13 times larger. Its mass is estimated at eleven Earth masses, so its density is significantly lower than that of rocky bodies. The scientists' conclusion is that it is probably a "water world" — a planet completely covered by a deep ocean with an atmosphere saturated with water vapor. The peculiarity of Kepler-10 c is that it may have a layered structure, where a significant part of the water is in the form of ice.

Its neighbor, Kepler-10 b, is slightly larger than the Earth (1.47 times the radius and three times the mass) and much closer to the star: it makes a full revolution in less than an Earth day, while Kepler-10 c rotates in 45 days. The planets were discovered thanks to transits — light eclipses of the star as the bodies pass through the disc. However, the new estimates are based on an analysis of the "wobble" of the star caused by the gravitational attraction of the planets.

These measurements revealed another intrigue: there is probably a third planet in the system, Kepler-10 d. It makes a revolution in about 151 days, and its minimum mass is about twelve Earth masses.

Astronomers suggest that at least Kepler-10 c formed much further from its star, in a zone where water condensed into ice. Over time, the body migrated closer, preserving its rich water composition. Such migration processes are important for understanding the evolution of planetary systems in general, including the Solar System, despite the fact that we do not have similar water-ice giants, unlike many other star systems.

As a reminder, Elon Musk has officially confirmed that Tesla Optimus humanoid robots will be the first to conquer Mars. The machines will be launched into space aboard a SpaceX spacecraft at the end of 2026.

We also wrote that NASA successfully launched the Falcon 9 space rocket on the Fram2 mission. The mission was aimed at exploring the Earth's poles.