Unraveling the Mystery: NASA's Findings on Shrinking Exoplanets
TL;DR
Astronomers have discovered that some exoplanets are losing their atmospheres, causing them to shrink. This phenomenon, known as "core-powered mass loss," occurs when radiation from the planet's hot core pushes away its atmosphere from within. This process can transform a puffy, sub-Neptune planet into a rocky super-Earth. The findings explain why there are few exoplanets with sizes between a super-Earth and sub-Neptune. The study analyzed exoplanet data collected by NASA's Kepler 2 mission and suggests that core-powered mass loss is the likely reason behind atmospheric escape on these planets.
Topics:top-newsscience-and-astronomy#astronomers#atmospheres#core-powered-mass-loss#exoplanets#science-and-astronomy#sub-neptunes
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- NASA Telescope Reveals Clues to Elusive 'Size Gap' in Planets Gizmodo
- NASA Astronomers Might Have Figured Out Why Some Planets Shrink ExtremeTech
- Is mystery of shrinking exoplanets solved? Data from NASA reveals new details WION
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