"Exoplanet's Atmosphere Loses Helium: New Observations Reveal"

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Source: Phys.org
"Exoplanet's Atmosphere Loses Helium: New Observations Reveal"
Photo: Phys.org
TL;DR

Astronomers have detected the escape of helium from the atmosphere of a nearby mini-Neptune exoplanet called TOI-2134 b. Using the Near Infrared Spectrometer (NIRSPEC) on the Keck II Telescope, the researchers found that TOI-2134 b has the smallest helium signal among exoplanets with detected helium. The observations suggest that the atmospheric escape of helium in TOI-2134 b is likely due to photoevaporation by stellar XUV, and the results provide insights into the nature of atmospheric escape in alien worlds.

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