Kepler-1649b: an exo-Venus in the solar neighborhood
Article
Article Title | Kepler-1649b: an exo-Venus in the solar neighborhood |
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ERA Journal ID | 1048 |
Article Category | Article |
Authors | Angelo, Isabel (Author), Rowe, Jason F. (Author), Howell, Steve B. (Author), Quintana, Elisa V. (Author), Still, Martin (Author), Mann, Andrew W. (Author), Burningham, Ben (Author), Barclay, Thomas (Author), Ciardi, David R. (Author), Huber, Daniel (Author) and Kane, Stephen R. (Author) |
Journal Title | The Astronomical Journal |
Journal Citation | 153 (4) |
Article Number | 162 |
Number of Pages | 8 |
Year | 2017 |
Publisher | IOP Publishing |
Place of Publication | United States |
ISSN | 0004-6256 |
1538-3881 | |
Digital Object Identifier (DOI) | https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-3881/aa615f |
Web Address (URL) | https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/1538-3881/aa615f |
Abstract | The Kepler mission has revealed that Earth-sized planets are common, and dozens have been discovered to orbit in or near their host star's habitable zone. A major focus in astronomy is to determine which of these exoplanets are likely to have Earth-like properties that are amenable to follow-up with both ground- and future space-based surveys, with an ultimate goal of probing their atmospheres to look for signs of life. Venus-like atmospheres will be of particular interest in these surveys. While Earth and Venus evolved to have similar sizes and densities, it remains unclear what factors led to the dramatic divergence of their atmospheres. Studying analogs to both Earth and Venus can thus shed light on the limits of habitability and the potential for life on known exoplanets. Here, we present the discovery and confirmation of Kepler-1649b, an Earth-sized planet orbiting a nearby M5V star that receives incident flux at a level similar to that of Venus. We present our methods for characterizing the star, using a combination of point-spread function photometry, ground-based spectroscopy, and imaging, to confirm the planetary nature of Kepler-1649b. Planets like Kepler-1649b will be prime candidates for atmospheric and habitability studies in the next generation of space missions. |
Keywords | planets and satellites; terrestrial planets |
Contains Sensitive Content | Does not contain sensitive content |
ANZSRC Field of Research 2020 | 510109. Stellar astronomy and planetary systems |
Public Notes | For access to this article, please click on the URL link provided. |
Byline Affiliations | SETI Institute, United States |
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), United States | |
Bay Area Environmental Research Institute, United States | |
University of Texas, United States | |
NASA Ames Research Center, United States | |
University of Sydney | |
San Francisco State University, United States | |
Institution of Origin | University of Southern Queensland |
https://research.usq.edu.au/item/q4348/kepler-1649b-an-exo-venus-in-the-solar-neighborhood
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