Artistic impression of CoRoT 9b via ESO

It is the first time that the discovered planet using space mission has been studied using follow-up observations from ground based telescope. This will be new trend of follow-up observations of the planets found using accompaning dedicated expensive space missions, which will give fresh new air of understanding into planetary sciences studies in years to come. This time the space mission was CoRoT and earth based well-known planetary search instrument HARPS installed on 3.6 m telescope at La Silla Paranal observatory, Chile and the planet is called “CoRoT 9b”.

“Corot-9b is the first exoplanet that really does resemble planets in our solar system,” adds lead author Hans Deeg. “It has the size of Jupiter and an orbit similar to that of Mercury.”

It should be noted that orbit of Mercury doesn’t mean that it is as close to the host star as Mecury to the Sun, but rather it is the orbital period, which is similar to Mercury.

Corot-9b is special in that its distance from its host star is about ten times larger than that of any planet previously discovered by this method. And unlike all such exoplanets, the planet has a temperate climate. The temperature of its gaseous surface is expected to be between 160 degrees and minus twenty degrees Celsius, with minimal variations between day and night. The exact value depends on the possible presence of a layer of highly reflective clouds.

These results make this planet already very exotic. This planet is definitely going to be studied over and over again in the near future. Perhaps this will advance our knowledge and methods to understand the atmosphere and other characteristics of exoplanets yet to be discovered. Kepler mission is already becoming highly productive mission and it will provide not just dozen but perhaps many more still undiscovered “normal” planets for detail studies.

source: First Temperate Exoplanet Sized Up

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