An Exoplanet Where It's New Years Every Day

 

Where It’s New Year’s Every Day

Scientists recently discovered an exoplanet where New Year’s Day happens every single day, according to CNN.

The newly found planet, GJ 367 b, is about 31 light-years away from our Sun and a single year there lasts roughly eight hours.

A research team reported in their study that GJ 367 b is considered an ultra-short period planet (USP) that orbits around its host star at a very fast rate.

USPs have been documented in the past with scientists saying that their complete orbit lasts less than 24 hours. However, not much is known about these planets because they are too far from our solar system.

Researchers noted that the short distance of GJ 367 b from our solar system allowed them to better study the planet’s features. They described it as a rocky world that is about the size of Mars – making it only half the mass of Earth. The planet’s interior is also made of iron and a nickel core, which is similar to Mercury.

The team added that GJ 367 b is very close to its M dwarf star, which would make its surface a scorching wasteland with temperatures above 2,700 degrees Fahrenheit.

While the planet may not be hospitable, the authors suggested that there could be other planets in that solar system that could support life.

“For this class of star, the habitable zone would be somewhere between a two- to three-week orbit,” said study co-author George Ricker.

Happy New Year!