Eight super-Earths at once. The TESS telescope has broken the bank

Contrary to what might be inferred from the name of these objects, these are not improved versions of our planet. So where did this term come from? They are exoplanets with a rocky structure, but their mass is greater than that of Earth. Meanwhile, super-Earths may be too close or too far from their stars to provide suitable conditions for life.

Since TESS is designed to detect exoplanets orbiting nearby stars, its effects are truly impressive. So far, about 400 exoplanets have been identified using this telescope, but another 6,000 planet candidates are on the waiting list.

Therefore, we see that the process of searching for interesting things is less complicated than learning about them more. To do this, astronomers usually use one of two methods. The first assumes more observations, while the second relies on statistical methods.

In the VaTEST project, scientists use statistical and machine learning tools to analyze data provided by TESS. In addition to identifying new planets, they can also describe their atmospheres. Details of recent progress will be presented on the following pages Publications of the Australian Astronomical Society.

We have validated eight potential super-Earths using a combination of ground-based telescope data, high-resolution imaging, and a statistical validation tool known as TRICERATOPS. […] Of all the certified planets, six of them are located in a region known as the core planets, making them particularly interesting to study.
Explanation of the research team members

What are the major planets anyway? In short: it is a planet based on observations from which the general population of these objects can be described. For example, one of the unknowns in the world of astronomy is why there is a shortage of planets with radii between 1.5 and 2 Earth radii. According to hypotheses, this may be caused by weight loss as a result of so-called photoevaporation. When the star around which these objects orbit emits strong radiation, the atmospheres of these planets could be destroyed. As a result, those with a radius of 1.5 to 2 from the Earth will begin to fall. Among the eight newly discovered planets, we are talking about radii ranging from 1.4 to 1.8 Earth radii.

More importantly, in the case of at least two of the eight new super-Earths, it should be possible to observe them using the James Webb Space Telescope. These are the objects known as TOI-771b and TOI-4559b. Previous simulations have shown that these objects may contain compounds such as carbon dioxide, water and methane in their atmospheres, creating the intriguing possibility of extraterrestrial life.