Tess found the planet thanks to the transit method. To detect distant celestial bodies, a telescope scans the night sky for changes in brightness: if a star’s light fades periodically, this may indicate a planet blocking the light as it passes. This technology has already enabled TESS, which launched in 2018, to discover more than 5,000 exoplanets, a milestone celebrated earlier this year.
Based on its mass, TOI-1075 b should have an atmosphere composed of hydrogen and helium, but in this case the researchers consider unlikely. But the alternative could be more fantastic: “The planet could be completely devoid of an atmosphere,” the study authors commented, “it could be composed of metal vapors and silicates (a class of minerals) due to the magma surrounding, or — the researchers add — there could also be an atmosphere.” very thin consisting of hydrogen and helium or carbon dioxide.
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