Worldsfeed News Desk: 6 July 2025,
Scientists have discovered a fascinating new water-rich super-Earth, designated TOI-1846 b, located approximately 154 light-years away from Earth. This exoplanet is nearly twice the size of our planet, with a radius about 1.792 times that of Earth and a mass roughly 4.4 times greater. The discovery sheds light on the diversity of planetary systems beyond our solar system and provides a new candidate for studying potentially habitable worlds.
Discovery and Characteristics of TOI-1846 b
Scientists have discovered water-rich super-Earth TOI-1846 b, an exoplanet located about 154 light-years away. Nearly twice the size of Earth and four times as massive, TOI-1846 b could hold important clues in the search for habitable worlds beyond our solar system.
TOI-1846 b completes an orbit around its host star every 3.93 days and has an estimated equilibrium temperature of 568.1 K. Despite its proximity to the star, researchers suggest the planet could be water-rich. However, further studies, particularly radial velocity (RV) measurements with instruments like MAROON-X, are required to precisely determine its composition.
🔭 Future Research and Habitability Potential
While TOI-1846 b is likely too hot to host life as we know it due to its close orbit and high equilibrium temperature of around 568 K, its water-rich nature still excites researchers. Future studies using high-precision instruments like the MAROON-X spectrograph and upcoming missions such as the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) could reveal more about the planet’s atmosphere and composition. These observations may help scientists understand the formation of super-Earths and assess whether similar worlds could support microbial life or contain key ingredients for habitability.
The Host Star TOI-1846
The host star, TOI-1846, is smaller than our Sun — about 0.4 times its size and with 0.42 solar masses. It has an effective temperature of 3,568 K and is approximately 7.2 billion years old, which is significantly older than the Sun’s age of 4.6 billion years.
Context: Other Super-Earth Discoveries
Earlier this year, another intriguing super-Earth named HD 20794 d was found 20 light-years away. This planet is six times the mass of Earth and orbits in the habitable zone of a sun-like star. However, its elliptical orbit raises questions about its habitability potential. Learn more from the University of Oxford’s research.
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