Method of weighing extraterrestrial planets

The method of weighing these planets not only shows the weight of the planet, but also can reveal how friendly they are to human life.

Weigh extraterrestrial planets

Knowing the weight of a planet will help scientists better understand the structure, cooling process, stratigraphic tectonics, how a planet produces magnetic fields and circulates air in its atmosphere. From there, they can make accurate predictions about life on the planet. Therefore, this is considered a very important indicator when studying the universe.

Planet HD 189733b is applied by new scientists to calculate weight .

Currently, methods of weighing extraterrestrial planets are limited. The main technique being used is the radial velocity method : measuring the swing of a celestial body or a star while moving. That is the effect of gravity - a factor that has a close relationship with weight. However, this method is not applicable to many stars in galaxies such as stars with low mass or high flexibility.

Recently, scientists have invented a method to measure planet weights only by observing its atmosphere .

Imagine the atmosphere of a rising planet is more diluted, just like our Earth.

This is because the greater the distance, the smaller the impact of gravity .

Because the gravitational force of a planet depends on its mass , researchers can calculate the mass of a planet by observing how its atmosphere is diluted as it rises. high.

This method is named MassSpec. The researchers applied to planet HD 189733b, about 63 light-years away from Earth discovered in 2005. The results were very close to the results when using radial velocity techniques: HD 189733b heavy about 1.15 times more than Jupiter.

Currently, MassSpec is only applicable for giant gas planets equivalent to Jupiter or Saturn. Scientists are studying more to develop this promising method.