HD 20782 b
HD 20782 b is a planet, like Earth, that orbits around a star called HD 20782. It is located very far away, in a different system or neighborhood in space. HD 20782 b is what scientists call an exoplanet, which means it is a planet that is outside of our own solar system.
Scientists have never actually seen HD 20782 b, because it is too far away to see with telescopes. Instead, they have discovered it by studying how the star it orbits behaves. They have noticed that the star wobbles slightly, as if something is pulling on it, and have concluded that this must be the effect of a planet’s gravitational force.
HD 20782 is a lot bigger than Earth, so HD 20782 b is probably much bigger too. It also orbits very close to its star – so close that a year (the time it takes for one orbit around the star) only lasts about 17 days! For comparison, a year on Earth lasts around 365 days! It's very hot on HD 20782 b, much hotter than on Earth where we live.
Scientists are still studying HD 20782 b and other exoplanets to learn more about them and understand how planets form and evolve.
Scientists have never actually seen HD 20782 b, because it is too far away to see with telescopes. Instead, they have discovered it by studying how the star it orbits behaves. They have noticed that the star wobbles slightly, as if something is pulling on it, and have concluded that this must be the effect of a planet’s gravitational force.
HD 20782 is a lot bigger than Earth, so HD 20782 b is probably much bigger too. It also orbits very close to its star – so close that a year (the time it takes for one orbit around the star) only lasts about 17 days! For comparison, a year on Earth lasts around 365 days! It's very hot on HD 20782 b, much hotter than on Earth where we live.
Scientists are still studying HD 20782 b and other exoplanets to learn more about them and understand how planets form and evolve.