Astronomers have discovered an Earth-sized planet that is highly volcanically active — an unusual finding that means it could possibly support life. The newly discovered planet, LP 791-18d, is thought to be covered in volcanoes and could be as active as Jupiter’s moon Io, which is the most volcanically active body in our solar system.
Recommended Videos It was discovered using data from NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite and the now-retired Spitzer Space Telescope, which observed a small red dwarf star located 90 light-years away. It is thought that the planet could be volcanically active because of the other planets in the same star system, LP 791-18 b and c. Planet c in particular passes very close to planet d during its orbit, which could be creating internal friction inside the planet and heating it up, causing volcanoes to be active on its surface. This relationship between the interior of a planet and active volcanoes has the interest of scientists who are studying conditions for life.
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