Question: In a recent discovery by NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), TOI 270 (TESS object of Interest 270) is a?
(a) Host Star
(b) Earth like rocky planet
(c) Elliptical galaxy
(d) Gaseous planet
Answer: (a)
Related facts:
- Recently NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) has discovered again three fascinating planets orbiting around a nearby star.
- The star is known as TOI 270, full name TESS Object of Interest 270 and its more formal name is UCAC4 191-004642.
- The star is 40% smaller than our sun and is also about a third cooler. It hangs out 73 light-years away.
- Astronomers have given the name TOI 270-b to the Super-Earth the closest planet around this star. This star is about 25% bigger than Earth, probably a rocky planet.
- The other two planets TOI 270c and TOI 270 d are closer to gas-giant Neptune in appearance and can be described as mini-Neptunes.
- TESS used the transit method to discover planets around TOI 270
- It should be known that in transit method one has to observe the dimming light of the host star that indicates a planet passing around it.
- NASA scientists say that TOI 270-b is too close to the host star to be habitable as it may be even hotter than our Venus.
Links:
https://www.cnet.com/news/nasa-telescope-discovers-three-intriguing-planets-hiding-around-nearby-star/
https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2019/nasa-s-tess-mission-scores-hat-trick-with-3-new-worlds