Data from the well-studied exoplanet LHS1140b was analyzed in a recent paper by Charles Cadieux of the University of Montreal and collaborators. The goal of the paper is to characterize the exoplanet based on its collected data on density from multiple telescopes. Densities can be used to determine the composition of exoplanets such as rocky planets like Earth or gas planets like Jupiter, however the density of exoplanets can be difficult to measure due to their distance from Earth and proximity to their stars.
Join us this week as Mike investigates their findings and how we use density to understand other worlds.
Astro Brief is a collaboration between KSMU, the Missouri Space Grant, and MSU's Department of Physics, Astronomy and Materials Science. Hosted by Dr. Mike Reed, Astro Brief focuses on astronomical events, the field of astronomy, and astronomy-related guests. It airs Thursdays at 9:45 am on KSMU.