The Hubble Space Telescope has made a groundbreaking discovery by accurately measuring the size of an Earth-sized exoplanet in a nearby triple star system. This exciting advance in space exploration offers new insights into the composition of the planet, known as LTT 1445Ac, and the potential for further atmospheric study.
Originally discovered by NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), LTT 1445Ac is a rocky planet that is similar in size to Earth but much hotter. This new research enhances our knowledge of exoplanets and their atmospheres, opening the door for follow-on studies to investigate the kind of atmosphere, if any, the rocky world might have.
The Hubble Space Telescope was able to precisely measure the planet’s diameter to be only 1.07 times Earth’s diameter. This makes it a cousin of Earth in terms of size, but the similarities end there. LTT 1445Ac is too close to its red dwarf sun for habitability, with surface temperatures reaching roughly 500 degrees Fahrenheit – the temperatures inside a pizza oven.
The planet orbits the star LTT 1445A, which is part of a triple system of three red dwarf stars that is located 22 light-years away in the constellation Eridanus. The star has two other reported planets that are larger than LTT 1445Ac, and a tight pair of two other dwarf stars, LTT 1445B and C, lies about 3 billion miles away from LTT 1445A, also resolved by Hubble.
Researchers are enthusiastic about the potential for follow-on observations that will allow for a better understanding of the diversity of planets around other stars. This milestone in space exploration has been reported in The Astronomical Journal, and represents a significant step forward in our understanding of exoplanets and their potential for habitability.