Scientists from the UNAM Institute of Astronomy, in collaboration with the Swiss-Mexican Telescope SAINT-EX at the National Astronomical Observatory of San Pedro Mártir, played a crucial role in discovering the second Earth-sized exoplanet. The exoplanet orbits an ultracold dwarf star, marking a significant milestone in understanding planetary systems around such stars.
Yilen Gómez Maqueo Chew, Laurence Sabin, and Ilse Plauchu-Frayn from the UNAM Institute of Astronomy led the discovery using observations made with SAINT-EX in 2021. They continued their work using the SPECULOOS network in 2022 and 2023, resulting in the identification of SPECULOOS-3b, an exoplanet with unique characteristics.
The discovery sheds light on the diversity of planets around ultracool dwarf stars and emphasizes the need for further research to understand their evolution. Gómez Maqueo Chew highlighted that this discovery is different from TRAPPIST-1, which was discovered in 2016 around a similar star.
The detection of SPECULOOS-3b was made using the transit method, where changes in luminosity indicate an orbiting object’s presence. However, its mass remains unknown, which is vital for determining its density and composition. Despite being dwarf and ultra-cold stars like those where this planet was found exhibit high magnetic activity, generating radiation and particles that can strip nearby objects of their atmosphere. This opens up new avenues for studying planetary systems around ultracold dwarf stars and deepening our understanding of these celestial phenomena.
