The incredible variety of 126 new planets discovered by NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) offers a previously unheard-of understanding of the complexity and wonders of the universe.

These discoveries, described in a thorough catalog, provide insightful analogies to our solar system and fresh directions for comprehending the various planetary systems that make up our galaxy.

NASA's TESS Discovers 126 New Planets

(Photo: Unsplash/Javier Miranda )

Revealing Unknown Worlds and the Science Contributing to the Findings

The TESS catalog, produced by a global scientific team, is a three-year effort that features a diverse array of exoplanets. From uncommon worlds with harsh environments to those that may harbor life, this catalog thoroughly examines the mass and radius of these recently found planets.

These crucial parameters provide insights into their composition and creation.

According to Stephen Kane, principal investigator of the TESS-Keck Survey and UC Riverside astronomer, relatively few previously identified exoplanets have mass and radius measurements. Knowing what makes these planets up and how they form depends on this mix.

To determine the masses of 120 identified planets and six candidate planets, almost 13,000 radial velocity (RV) observations were analyzed, and the results were reported in The Astrophysical Journal Supplement. TESS was used to make these measurements in association with Maunakea, Hawaii's W.M. Keck Observatory.

Because planets pull their host stars gravitationally, the stars "wobble." Telescopes can see and measure variations in the star's light spectrum caused by this wobble. Astrophysicist Ian Crossfield of the University of Kansas, co-author of the catalog, said that these RV measurements allow astronomers to identify and understand the characteristics of exoplanetary systems.

READ ALSO: Search for Aliens: 5 Reasons We Still Don't Encounter Extraterrestrials


Highlights from the Catalog

A few of the TESS-Keck Survey planets are noteworthy and provide important new information about planet evolution and genesis. To fill the gap in our knowledge of this type of planet, UCR graduate student Michelle Hill found two new planets orbiting a sun-like star, one of which is a "sub-Saturn" planet.

As Hill pointed out, there is a continuous discussion about whether sub-Saturn planets are uncommon or difficult to detect; hence, TOI-1386 b is a significant addition to this group. This planet completes its orbit in just 26 days; its neighbor, which has a mass comparable to Saturn, takes 227 days.

Another fascinating discovery made by UCR graduate student Daria Pidhorodetska is a planet half the size of Neptune. This planet, which takes just 19 days to complete an orbit around its star, emphasizes how common planets smaller than Neptune but bigger than Earth are- a kind rarely seen in our solar system.

New Opportunities and Extreme Environments

The catalog also lists planets orbiting stars other than our sun at highly brief periods. One such planet, TOI-1798 c, finishes its orbit in less than 12 hours and is exposed to high radiation levels, probably removing any original atmosphere.

"TOI-1798 c orbits its star so quickly that a year on this planet lasts less than half a day on Earth," stated the catalog publication lead author and doctoral student Alex Polanski of the University of Kansas. "Such extreme conditions mean this planet likely lost its atmosphere."

With this catalog, NASA's TESS mission and the more extensive search to find out if other planets might be home to life are well advanced. 'Are we unique? The verdict is still out, but our new mass catalog goes a long way in addressing that issue," Kane said.

The TESS results lay a vital basis for the following studies to advance our knowledge of our position in the cosmos and the possibility of life beyond Earth.

RELATED ARTICLE: Largest Planet-Forming Disk Resembles Giant Cosmic Butterfly and Hamburger-Like Sandwich

Check out more news and information on SPACE in Science Times.