Project Gallery 2023
Secondary students from across Europe became exoplanet detectives with ESA and used Cheops satellite data to uncover the mysteries of two exoplanet targets: KELT-3b and TOI-560c.
Explore the projects below.
Divoši
Gymnázium Českolipská Praha 9, Miškovice – Czech Republic 14 years old, 17 years old 3 / 3
https://hackanexoplanet.esa.int/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Divosi.pptx
TOI-560c
TOI-560c project description:
The project focuses on studying exoplanets, particularly TOI 560c. Our team aims to determine if these exoplanets could potentially support human life in the future. We analyze data on the system, including the planets’ characteristics, composition, and potential for habitability. The project also explores different hypotheses regarding the nature of TOI 560c and its potential for hosting life forms.
TOI-560c Results and Analysis
System of TOI-560
500-Myr-old active K dwarf TOI-560 has two planets orbiting around it – TOI-560b and our exoplanet TOI-560c. The system is located in constellation of Hydra. Both of these planets are really close to the star. The TOI-560b has orbiting time around 9 days and the TOI-560c has orbiting time almost 19 days. I think that this is pretty short. Also both of these planets can still be forming to its final state, because they are still young.
Gravitational force on TOI-560c is 1,3x greater than on earth
To measure the pressure of the exoplanet we would need to know the composition of the atmosphere through spectroscopy, which we could get from upcoming mission Plato. Then we could calculate if on the exoplanet can be water in fluid state or not.
We got new data and basic informations about our target, exoplanet TOI-560c, from CHEOPS survey 2021. TOI-560c is orbiting a small orange-red star TOI-560 (HD 73583). Our exoplanet is almost tropical with temperature around 225°C (that’s under melting point of lead). Radius of this planet is about 2,74 Re based on our calculations, mass is 9,70 Me , orbital period is quite short- only around 18,8797 days, it is most likely, that the exoplanet is tidally locked, because it is so close to its star, density of this exoplanet is about 2 580,42 kg*m-3(if the planet would be made from only one element, we could call it big aluminium sphere). That brings us to the biggest mystery of our research, what does the exoplanet look like?
TOI-560c
Our first hypothesis is, that the exoplanet is a Mini-Neptune with metal core, that could also mean that there could be a magnetosphere around TOI 560c, that could explain its density
Our second hypothesis is, that TOI 560c is a rocky Super-Earth with rivers, lakes of lava, this could also explain its density
Our 3rd hypothesis is, that TOI 560c is a Mini-Neptune with rocky core, this could also explain its density
ESA’s catalogue says that it is a Mini-Neptune, but NASA’s catalogue says that it is a Super-Earth, so we aren’t so sure what it could be.
To see the full documentation with own simulated pictures, please, open our presentation below!
TOI-560c Conclusions
TOI 560c is a young exoplanet with a short orbital period, located in the TOI-560 system.
It has a radius of approximately 2.74 times that of Earth and a density of around 2.58 g/cm^3.
The gravitational force on TOI 560c is about 1.3 times stronger than on Earth
The existence of life on TOI 560c remains uncertain, but the team suggests that if it does exist, it would likely be a form of life different from what we know on Earth.
Further research and exploration are needed to understand the composition of TOI 560c’s atmosphere and its potential habitability for human life.
Our team recommends collaborating with organizations like ESA to develop the necessary technology for future missions and expand humanity’s exploration of the universe.