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Astronomers first cited the possibility of the existence of exoplanets as early as 1917. Sadly, the theory was not widely accepted back then. The first definite conclusion came out in 1992 when studies proved the quiddity of a different planet in 2003. Till 1st May 2022, NASA astronomers have confirmed the presence of 5017 exoplanets that are distributed across 3694 planetary systems. Planetary systems develop centering a star in the middle. Non-stellar object(s) revolve around this star along their orbits and each of them is gravitationally bound.
Astronomers doubt that probably many more exoplanets happen to exist in reality as the detection methods implemented by them such as Doppler Spectroscopy and Transit Photometry are only able to identify exoplanets that are close to the star. Quite surprisingly about 20% of these exoplanets are similar in size when compared to earth and they may support life if they are subjected to ideal atmospheric pressure. They are found in an orbital range that can support liquid water, i.e., they are located in the circumstellar habitable zone (CHZ).
AU Microscopii b Atmosphere
AU Microscopii b is a giant exoplanet similar to Neptune which is situated at a distance of 32 light-years from our Earth. AU Microscopii is one of the latest planetary systems cited by astronomers. The AU Microscopii b atmosphere is severe and consists of dusty blasts of harmful radiation like X-rays. The atmospheric conditions are devilish. AU Microscopii b requires 8.5 days to revolve once around its star, AU Mic. The orbital radius of this exoplanet is 0.0645 AU. Its mass has been identified as 0.18 Jupiters.
When we consider the AU Microscopii b atmosphere, it is essential to gather knowledge about its stellar characteristics. AU Mic aging almost 22 million years old is much younger than Sun. The AU Microscopii b atmosphere gets its heat supply from this dwarf star which appears to glow in an orange-red hue. This is because of its high temperature which can be up to 3700 K. AU Microscopii b atmosphere is gravitationally bound to AT Microscopii which represents a binary star network in the Microscopium constellation. The AU Microscopii b atmosphere exhibits each constituent radiation of the electromagnetic field starting from X-rays to radio waves. These wavelengths have been observed to experience flaring behavior since 1973. The flaring activities are random and are characterized by sinusoids in terms of brightness. The disc surrounding this exoplanet has been spotted at various wavelengths and similar high-resolution images have been captured which help the astronomers to further visually distinguish their stellar object. Such observations have been possible using Keck and Hubble Space Telescopes. Information as minute as the size of dust particles that are present in the disc could be gathered using this technique.
HAT-P-67 b – the Largest known Exoplanet
Twice the diameter of Jupiter, HAT-P-67 b has been reported as the largest exoplanet discovered to date. Surprisingly this giant gas sphere accounts for only 60% of the mass of Jupiter. This statistic also adds this planet to the list of least dense exoplanets invented so far. There exist remarkable levels of radiation that include high-energy UV rays and devilish X-rays that are prevalent in the outer atmospheric layers of HAT-P-67 b. Astronomers studied this highly ionized stellar entity back in 2017. This planet’s atmosphere is expected to expand even further in the future owing to the increased quantity of radiation released from its star which is gradually converting itself to a dark red mass.
The Difference Between an Exoplanet and Planet
The fundamental difference between planets and exoplanets is cited based on the central star surrounding which a planetary system is built. Planets like Earth, Mercury, Jupiter, etc. revolve around the Sun and they are all planets. Similar stellar bodies in space that are not a part of the Solar System and therefore have their separate stars are termed exoplanets. Exoplanets are detected during their transit. Transit is the pathway of an exoplanet in front of the concerned star. Some exoplanets are surrounded by a very hot atmosphere that is capable of boiling metals that are characterized by high melting points.
Conclusion
AU Microscopii b Atmosphere is severe and characterized by harmful radiation that ranges from X-rays to radio waves. It is an exoplanet that is a part of one of the newest planetary systems which have been discovered surrounding the star AU Mic. The largest known exoplanet is the HAT-P-67 b which is even larger than the largest planet in our Solar system – Jupiter. We have understood through discussion that Exoplanets are similar to the planets residing within the Solar system except for the fact they revolve around their stars, except the Sun.
