My Great Endeavors : September 2021

Introduction

What are exoplanets? How are they detected? How are they formed? Why they come in different colors? What about there magnetic fields and plate tectonics? Do some of them have rings? Do they even have an atmosphere? Could they support life? Ok, enough enough show me the list. Damnit!!!!!!

Definition

Exoplanets are planets that exist outside the solar system. Astronomers have discovered over 4,000 of them. There are super-Earths: which are planets similar to Earth but are more massive. There are also gas giants, Neptunian and terrestrial planets. Rogue planets are planets that float around in the galaxy. They don't orbit a star. Some exoplanets may contain lifeforms. I'm pretty sure of that.

Formation of Exoplanets

In a nebula some the dust and gas around a star clump together. Sometimes these clumps become planets. If this clumps are far out enough they may contain water. The gassy planets would be farther away from the star because the atoms it is made out of are light. The rocky planet would be color to the star because they have heavier atoms. This is what happen in our solar system. My assumption is it happened in others.

Meanings of Color

The color of an exoplanet is determined by the chemical composition of its sky. As well as dust, star radiation, pressure, etc. Mars is an good example of this: it has a red sky because of iron oxide in it. The electromagnetic waves and the molecules that make up the atmosphere as the biggest effect on the sky's color. A exoplanet (HD189733b) was discovered by Hubble Space Telescope, it is dark blue. It's that color because of silicate in the atmosphere. That planet was the first one astronomers figured out the color of. WASP-79 B is a yellow exoplanet. It's atmosphere don't fellow the same rules as Earth's. So astronomers don't know why it is yellow.

Force Fields

Magnetic fields (magnetosphere) can help a planet support life-forms similar to ones on Earth. They protect a planet from cosmic radiation. By doing so, organisms have a chance to evolve. Astronomers discovered 4 exoplanets that are about the size of Jupiter have very strong magnetic fields. These planets were the first exoplanets to have their magnetospheres studied.

Plate Tectonics

Astronomers discovered tectonic activity on a planet (LHS 3844b) 45 light years away. It orbits a red dwarf and it lacks an atmosphere. The orbit is only 11 hours because it is so close. The lava underground causes the plates to move. The planet doesn't rotate as it orbits, like the moon. One side of the planet is super hot and the other side is very cool. That may affect its planet tectonics.

Types of Exoplanets (talk planets with rings around them)

Super-Earths: Exoplanets similar to earth but more massive and it may have heavy water.

Gas Giants: These planets are similar to Jupiter and Saturn. But, they may be bigger and closer to the star. Disproving my assumption.

Neptunian: They are about as big as Neptune and they are icey.

Terrestrial:Terrestrial planets have similarities to other planets in the inter-solar system.

Life in Other Worlds

Some exoplanets are very similar to Earth, so they may have life forms. Planets unlike Earth may have life forms as well. But they will be harder to find out. Read the post in the alien section of my blog. I have written about many alien species. They were all from different planets. But publicly aliens are unknown, privately its classified.

List of Exoplanets

HD 189733b: It is a blue gas giant 64 light years away. It is raining molten glass, it is very hot because it is close to the star. It is losing it atmosphere somewhere between 1 million to 1 billion pounds a second.

Gliese 1132b: It's a super-earth and orbits a red dwarf. It takes less than two days to complete an orbit around its star. The surface of the planet is very hot, because they are close to the star. It has a lot of volcanoes, because it greatly impacted by its star gravity. The has released from volcanoes are creating another atmosphere.

Kepler-10b: It is closer to its star than Mercury is to our Sun. Its surface is much hotter than Gliese 1132b!!!!! There is rain there made out of iron and silicate. It atmosphere is on a decline or non-extentient. Solar winds causes it to have a tail made of fire.

OGLE-2016-BLG-1928: It is a rogue planet in our backyard.

55 Cancri e: A super-earth and diamond planet. Its orbit takes less than a Earth day, because it so close to a star. It is twice the size of Earth and 9 times as massive.

Conclusion

Exoplanets are so amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! They exist outside the solar system. They formed in nebulas and their atmospheres have different compositions. The stars they orbit give off a certain type of radiation. Because of all that the planet has certain colors. They have various types of magnetospheres and plate tectonics. There is 4 types of exoplanets and aliens exist on other worlds. Astronomers have discovered over 4,000 exoplanets!!!!!!!!