Discovery of exoplanet could REVOLUTIONIZE searches for extraterrestrial life

In recent months, the internet has been literally flooded with news about the discoveries made by the incredible James Webb telescope. However, it is not only the James Webb that can make astronomical discoveries.

After all, scientists have been using different methods to investigate the Universe for years. Given this, it is logical that we should not diminish the achievements of the telescope, since its technology is different from all others that came before.

With this in mind, it is interesting to highlight that each satellite and telescope has its own way of operating, and can offer different information that is equally useful for new studies and discoveries.

So why not use two different search methods together? That was the question the scientists behind the latest discovery asked.

And so a team of scientists working with the Gaia Mission and at the Subaru telescope, he decided to join forces and data to achieve something unique.

Combination of methods allows discovery of new exoplanet

Although it may seem obvious to simply say that “we must combine methods”, in the scientific field this is not simple and can be disastrous. Research methods are, most of the time, created specifically for a certain purpose.

After all, we cannot use the research method of a drug to study how society behaves. They are two distinct things and need to be investigated as different.

This is more or less how things work with the two methods of planet hunting, known as direct and indirect.

The direct method is straightforward, it involves pointing a telescope at the sky and trying to find a planet. If you think it’s easy, take the image below as an example and answer, where is the planet?

Although it may seem inefficient, the direct method has its advantages, but it needed something more. That’s where the indirect method came in.

As its name suggests, it is not enough to point to the sky and expect to find something, because you will find a lot. Therefore, you need to know where you are pointing.

Logically, as can be seen in the image above, stars are the easiest celestial bodies to find, due to the light they emit.

Therefore, the indirect method involves finding “oscillations” in stars, either in the light they emit or in the way they move. This is because stars with planets orbiting them have a distinct movement, thanks to the influence of the planet’s mass.

HIP 99770 b was discovered only with the fusion of methods

So, by combining these two methods, it was possible to find a new exoplanet – planets outside our Solar System – that has about 16 times the mass of Jupiter. Normally, finding the planet that has been named HIP 99770 b would not be easy.

However, thanks to the data provided by the Gaia Mission for indirect detection, the Subaru telescope was able to use direct detection to obtain an image of the planet. Even though it may seem simple, identifying a planet by combining two methods is very important for Science.

This is because now, different missions and telescopes will be able to use the same detection settings. HIP 99770 b to find other planets around the Universe. And, who knows, even planets capable of harboring life.