Foreign planet where a year lasts 19.5 days

For the first time, Indian scientists have confirmed the existence of an extraterrestrial planet with many times the mass of the Earth.

Indian scientists point out a spin around a star similar to the Sun 600 light-years from Earth, Science Alert reported on June 11. The planet is called EPIC 211945201b or K2-236b , has 27 times the mass of Earth and only one year lasts 19.5 days. The new study makes India one of the few countries that confirm the planet outside the solar system.

Extraterrestrial confirmation is a new step in Indian astronomy.(Photo: Inquisitr).

Exotic planets are not too rare. Humans have confirmed the existence of 3,786 exoplanets, but most, about 2,600 exoplanets, discovered and confirmed by NASA.

K2-236b was also first discovered by Kepler and listed as a planetary candidate. The Indian team led by Abhijit Chakraborty at the Physical Research Laboratory (PRL) studies and confirms this is a planet, not a comet or other celestial body.

They spent a year and a half at Gurushikhar Observatory of PRL to analyze the changes in light from host, EPIC 211945201 or K2-236, and conduct independent volume validation of the new planet. K2-236b is about 7 times closer to the star than the distance between Earth and the Sun. This means that the temperature on it can be equivalent to 600 degrees Celsius, too hot and dry for life to grow.

New research results can help scientists understand more about how this planet forms near the host star. This also shows that India has enough technology and expertise to identify extraterrestrials.