Roman GłogulskiAmerican scientists participating in NASA’s “TESS Hunt for Young and Maturing Exoplanets” program have discovered a planet named HD 63433 d, which is small and very young. This new planet is similar in size to Earth and is located in a system with two other known planets.
By analyzing data collected by the TESS telescope, scientists observed a signal indicating the existence of a third planet in this system. HD 63433 d is 1.1 times larger than Earth and orbits a star of the same type as the Sun at a very close distance. A year on this planet lasts only 4.2 Earth days.
However, what sets HD 63433 d apart are its extreme conditions. The planet is constantly facing the same side towards the star, causing temperatures on one hemisphere to exceed 1200 degrees Celsius. Scientists suspect that this part of the planet may be covered in liquid lava, and the entire system is extremely young, only about 400 million years old.
The discovery of this new planet is significant for studying the formation and evolution of planets. Scientists want to learn more about the dark side of HD 63433 d and examine its rare atmosphere, if it exists. This discovery opens up new possibilities for understanding the processes occurring on rocky planets and gaining knowledge about diverse planetary conditions.
Scientists are excited about the prospects of studying HD 63433 d and further exploring this young planet. Discovering such an object is another step towards finding answers to fundamental questions about the universe and our place in it.
