Larger than Earth, Venus Like Planet Found

[Ray McCarthy]

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/s...n-solar-system-close-to-our-own-a6730501.html

GJ 1132b is about 16 per cent larger than the Earth and although its solar orbit is much closer than that of our own planet, its sun is a “red dwarf” star far smaller than the Sun . The planet is probably in a locked orbit, meaning that one side of its surface permanently faces its star while the other always points out to space, much like the Moon’s orbit around Earth.

“The temperature of the planet is about as hot as your oven will go, so it’s like burnt-cookie hot. It’s too hot to be habitable. There’s no way there’s liquid water on the surface, but it’s cooler than the other rocky planets that we know of,” Dr Berta-Thompson said.

“We think it’s the first opportunity we have to point our telescopes at a rocky exoplanet and get that kind of detail, to be able to measure the colour of its sunset, or the speed of its winds, and really learn how rocky planets work out there in the Universe,” he said.

 

[Ray McCarthy]

The BBC report
http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-34791487

In truth, GJ 1132b is very low on the habitability index.

It circles so near to its star (a "year" lasts just 1.6 Earth days) that it is being "oven roasted", as one scientist on the discovery team put it.

This means any water will have boiled away, but it could still retain a substantial atmosphere. This makes GJ 1132b more like a Venus than an Earth - although Venus receives a 15th of the heat at GJ 1132b. Venus is certainly hot, just not quite that hot.

 

[BAYLOR]

It orbits it primary star every 1. 6 days? Incredible .

 

[Ray McCarthy]

Probably tidal locked, one face to star. So if it's tilted you'd get summer winter every 0.8 days. So "real" days at poles.
Funny we were discussing Hothouse on another thread.

So I wonder how hot it is on terminator?
If there is an atmosphere there might be 200 mph winds (one side hot and other very cold?)

 

[BAYLOR]

Probably tidal locked, one face to star. So if it's tilted you'd get summer winter every 0.8 days. So "real" days at poles.
Funny we were discussing Hothouse on another thread.

So I wonder how hot it is on terminator?
If there is an atmosphere there might be 200 mph winds (one side hot and other very cold?)

At 39 light years, we won't be going there anytime soon. But even if we could, landing any kind of probe maned or otherwise would be problematic.

 

[Ray McCarthy]

OK, my estimate of 200mph might be rubbish!
This tidally locked planet has 5400mph winds
Hot Weather and Strong Winds.

 

[BAYLOR]

OK, my estimate of 200mph might be rubbish!
This tidally locked planet has 5400mph winds
Hot Weather and Strong Winds.

540 MPH ? Perfect for hang gliding.

I don't think you can get a probe on that planet with those kinds of winds .