Water planets with steamy atmospheres have been discovered by NASA’s Hubble and Spitzer telescopes.

We continue to get acquainted with the inhabitants of the universe and neighbors through a space telescope.

We know very well planets of the solar systemIt’s one of the first things they teach us at school when we’re young, but we don’t realize all that is outside our little corner of the universe. For this, there are many Astronomical tools That space agencies work 24 hours a day and they’re going to it revealLittle by little, who we are Cosmic Neighbors. Now it’s the turn of the planets that have water, but are as far from the seas and oceans as the Earth.

Worlds made of water, but not as we know them on Earth, discovered by Hubble and Spitzer

Recently, through A News published on the NASA websiteWe were known as a team Researchers at the University of MontrealDirected by Caroline Piolet, Use Hubble and Spitzer Space Telescopes to describe properties A couple of outer planets: Kepler 138 J and Kepler 138 D. Both planets orbit a dwarf star and make news because Water he is an essential part of its sizealthough it is not what we imagine it to be on Earth.

Illustration of planets newly discovered by Hubble and Spitzer. Container

discovery that was Published in the prestigious journal Natura Astronomytells us about this planetary system Call Kepler 138. Both planets, along with a smaller planet, called Kepler-138 b, were discovered by the Kepler space telescope, hence their name, although New study He confirms that he will be there too Fourth planet which orbits near its star. The Waterreturning to the main part of the discovery, It is not disclosed directlybut concluded that More than half the size of Kepler-138 c and Kepler-138 d Consisting of material lighter than rock s heavier than gases such as hydrogen or helium.

these planets They have 3 times larger than Earth and more Double we’ve got Pastealthough his densities They are many minimum. Few exoplanets are comparable to those detected by the Kepler telescope, although it could contain some similarity With some Icy moons of the outer solar systemLike Europa or Enceladus. However, the Water would present in an unusual wayAccording to Caroline Piauley:

The temperature in Kepler-138 d’s atmosphere is likely to be above the boiling point of water, and we would expect to see a thick, dense atmosphere made of steam on the planet. Only below this vaporous atmosphere can there be high-pressure liquid water, or even water in another phase that occurs at high pressures, called a supercritical liquid.

Illustration comparing Earth to Kepler 138 d. Container

In addition to discovering these two things water worlds they’re from similar sizeit was also found that Kepler 138b he have Mars clusterBecause it is one of the smallest exoplanets known to us, the planets known as Kepler-138 do not appear to pass through their star. Bjorn BenneckeStudy co-author, guarantee which – which:

As our instruments and technology become sensitive enough to find and study planets farther from their stars, we can begin to find more of these water worlds.