June 12, 2013

Sunny Super-Earth?



Researchers observed the atmosphere of super-Earth exoplanet for the time first by the two telescopes of OAO.

A research team led by Akihiko Fukui (NAOJ), Norio Narita (NAOJ) and Kenji Kuroda (the University of Tokyo) observed the atmosphere of super-Earth “GJ3470b” in Cancer for the first time in the world using two telescopes at OAO (Okayama Astrophysical Observatory, NAOJ). This super-Earth is an exoplanet, having only about 14 times the mass of our home planet, and it is the second lightest one among already-surveyed exoplanets. The observational data revealed that this planet is highly likely to NOT be covered by thick clouds.