This Earth-sized exoplanet will meet a fiery death soon
What's the story
Astronomers have discovered an Earth-sized exoplanet, TOI-2431 b, on a death spiral. The planet orbits its star in just five hours and 22 minutes, making it an exoplanet with one of the shortest orbit periods ever detected. It is likely tidally locked with a surface temperature exceeding 1,700 degree Celsius. The intense heat has probably turned TOI-2431 b into a lava world and stripped away its atmosphere over time.
Planetary profile
A unique exoplanet with an unusual shape
TOI-2431 b is a unique exoplanet, weighing 6.2 times more than Earth but only 1.5 times its size. This suggests it may have been larger in the past but was stripped down to its rocky core by intense stellar radiation over time. The parent star's strong gravitational pull has also deformed TOI-2431 b.
Research potential
It can help us in atmospheric studies
Despite its inhospitable nature, TOI-2431 b could be a valuable resource for atmospheric studies. The planet's high Emission Spectroscopy Metric (ESM) of 27 makes it an excellent candidate for atmospheric phase-curve analysis. This technique involves creating a graph of light from an object across multiple wavelengths to identify the chemical elements and molecules present in its atmosphere.
Timeline
When will it die?
The Roche limit/Roche radius, is the distance from a more massive body that a less massive one must not breach if it hopes to survive. Tidal interactions with its host star not only deform TOI-2431 b but also dissipate orbital energy. This leads to inward spiral of the planet toward its star. Scientists estimate that TOI-2431 b's present orbital period is 30% larger than the Roche-limit orbital period, and has an expected orbital decay timescale of about 31 million years.