Why some planets become 'hellish' and what scientists are doing about it

Topic: Astronomy

Scientists are trying to understand why some planets become very hot and inhospitable. To do this, they need to know how fast these planets spin around their axes. A new study suggests that measuring a planet's rotation is not as simple as it seems.

Hundreds of Venus-like planets could soon help scientists figure out why some worlds are scorching hot while others can support life. But before answering this question, researchers need to know how fast these planets spin around their axes. The speed of a planet's rotation affects how energy from its star interacts with the planet's atmosphere and oceans.

The problem is that measuring a planet's rotation is not straightforward. Astronomers might think they are measuring the planet itself when they are actually looking at winds racing through its atmosphere. For example, Venus takes 243 Earth days to rotate once on its axis, but its upper atmosphere circles the planet in just four days.

A new study by Stephen Kane, a planetary astrophysicist at the University of California, Riverside, warns that atmospheric movements do not necessarily reveal the rotation of the world underneath. Kane proposes observing the same planet at multiple wavelengths to better estimate the rotation rate. This could soon become important as hundreds of Venus-like planets are expected to be discovered in the near future.

The European Space Agency's PLATO mission will launch in March 2027 and search for planets passing in front of their stars. It will spend years observing some regions, making it sensitive to planets that take longer to complete their orbits.

Why It Matters

Understanding how planets spin around their axes could help us learn more about the possibility of life on other worlds. This is especially relevant as India plans to launch its own space missions in the coming years.

Key Facts

• There are hundreds of Venus-like planets that scientists expect to discover soon.
• Measuring a planet's rotation is not straightforward and can be affected by atmospheric movements.
• The European Space Agency's PLATO mission will launch in March 2027 and search for planets passing in front of their stars.
• Stephen Kane, a planetary astrophysicist at the University of California, Riverside, has proposed a new method to estimate a planet's rotation rate.
• Venus takes 243 Earth days to rotate once on its axis, but its upper atmosphere circles the planet in just four days.

Key Terms

rotation

The movement of a planet around its own axis.

atmosphere

The layer of gases surrounding a planet.

Implications

Understanding how planets spin around their axes could help us learn more about the possibility of life on other worlds. This is especially relevant as India plans to launch its own space missions in the coming years.