The universe is home to an astonishing array of celestial bodies, but recent discoveries have shed new light on the prevalence of one type of planet: the super-Earth. Using the Korea Microlensing Telescope Network (KMTNet), an international team of researchers has found that these massive worlds are more common across the cosmos than previously thought.

By studying light anomalies caused by the newly found planet’s host star, combined with a larger sample from a KMTNet microlensing survey, the team was able to show that super-Earths can exist as far from their host star as our gas giants are from the sun. This is particularly interesting because it challenges previous theories about the formation and evolution of these planets.

One of the key findings of this study is that for every three stars, there should be at least one super-Earth present with a Jupiter-like orbital period. This suggests that these massive worlds are extremely prevalent across the universe. To make these discoveries, researchers used an observational effect called microlensing, which occurs when the presence of mass warps the fabric of space-time to a detectable degree.

The team was able to locate OGLE-2016-BLG-0007, a super-Earth with a mass ratio roughly double that of Earth’s and an orbit wider than Saturn’s. These observations allowed them to divide exoplanets into two groups: one consisting of super-Earths and Neptune-like planets, and the other comprising gas giants like Jupiter or Saturn.

This discovery opens new doors for planetary system science, as having a better understanding of exoplanet distribution can reveal new insights about the processes by which they form and evolve. The study also compared their findings to predictions made from theoretical simulations of planet formation, showing that while exoplanets can be separated into groups by mass and makeup, the mechanisms that may produce them can vary.

The researchers believe that greater swaths of long-term data from specialized systems like KMTNet and other microlensing instruments will be necessary to distinguish between different theories of gas-giant formation. This study was led by researchers in China, Korea, and at Harvard University and the Smithsonian Institution in the United States, and was recently published in the journal Science.

In conclusion, this discovery has significant implications for our understanding of the universe, revealing a cosmic abundance of super-Earths that challenges previous theories about their formation and evolution. Further research will be necessary to uncover more secrets about these enigmatic worlds.

The discovery of evidence suggesting that ancient Mars was once a relatively warm and wet planet has left scientists stunned. A new study published in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets has revealed that precipitation likely played a significant role in shaping the Martian surface billions of years ago, adding to a long-running debate in planetary science.

Researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder led by Amanda Steckel have been investigating the warm-and-wet versus cold-and-dry theories of Mars’ past climate. By drawing on computer simulations, they found that precipitation from snow or rain likely formed the patterns of valleys and headwaters that still exist on Mars today. The team’s findings suggest that heavy precipitation likely fed many networks of valleys and channels that shaped the Martian surface during the Noachian epoch, roughly 4.1 to 3.7 billion years ago.

The researchers used computer simulations to explore how water may have shaped the surface of Mars billions of years ago. They found that precipitation from snow or rain likely formed the patterns of valleys and headwaters that still exist on Mars today. The team compared their predictions to actual data from Mars taken by NASA’s Mars Global Surveyor and Mars Odyssey spacecrafts, with the simulations that included precipitation lining up more closely with the real Red Planet.

The discovery provides scientists with new insights into the history of another planet: our own. “Once the erosion from flowing water stopped, Mars almost got frozen in time and probably still looks a lot like Earth did 3.5 billion years ago,” said Brian Hynek, senior author of the study and a scientist at the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP) at CU Boulder.

The study’s findings have significant implications for our understanding of planetary evolution and the possibility of life on Mars. While the results aren’t the final word on Mars’ ancient climate, they do provide a tantalizing glimpse into the Red Planet’s hidden history.

The Great Enigma of Titan: Why the Moon’s Rivers Are Missing Deltas

Titan, Saturn’s largest moon, is a geological treasure trove that has long fascinated planetary scientists. With its thick atmosphere, liquid methane and ethane seas, and rivers that flow across its surface, Titan offers a unique window into the moon’s history and evolution. However, a new study published in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets reveals a surprising absence of river deltas on Titan – a feature that is common on Earth but mysteriously missing on this alien world.

“As a geomorphologist, it’s kind of disappointing to see that Titan doesn’t have the same type of deltas as we do on Earth,” said Sam Birch, an assistant professor in Brown University’s Department of Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences who led the work. “But at the same time, it raises a host of new questions.”

Titan’s liquid methane and ethane rivers should be perfectly capable of carrying and depositing sediment, forming deltas at their mouths. However, when Birch and his colleagues analyzed Cassini SAR data, they found that only about 1.3% of Titan’s large rivers have deltas – a stark contrast to the nearly 100% delta formation on Earth.

“It’s not entirely clear why Titan generally lacks deltas,” Birch said. “The fluid properties of Titan’s rivers should make them perfectly capable of carrying and depositing sediment.”

The researchers suggest that rapid changes in sea levels, winds, and tidal currents along Titan’s coasts may prevent delta formation. However, more research is needed to fully understand this phenomenon.

“This is really not what we expected,” Birch said. “But Titan does this to us a lot. I think that’s what makes it such an engaging place to study.”

The new analysis of Cassini SAR data also revealed pits of unknown origin deep within lakes and seas on Titan, as well as deep channels on the floors of these seas that seem to have been carved by river flows – but it’s not clear how they got there.

All of these surprises will require more research to fully understand. As Birch said, “This is really not what we expected, but Titan does this to us a lot. I think that’s what makes it such an engaging place to study.”