Newly-discovered exoplanet could be home to sapphires and rubiesDecember 26, 2018 - 11:53 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - An exoplanet discovered lately is just 21 light-years away and is five times the mass of the Earth, but with a lower density. It's not just its mass that makes this a super-Earth, unlike our planet. Its composition does too. Known as HD219134 b, it is likely to be rich in aluminum oxide, a key component in many gemstones, and for this reason, researchers think that sapphires and rubies might be present on the planet, Business Insider reports. This world orbits its star in just three days and is in a very hot region around the star. The team used computer models to establish how such a planet would form and discovered that it would likely be rich in calcium and aluminum, with silicon and magnesium as well, but very little iron. The research, published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, suggests that the planet's potential composition would lead to a different cooling time from other Earth-like planets and different properties in general. The researchers think that this object is part of a new class of super-Earths, and there are other examples that could fit the description too. "What's exciting is that these objects are completely different from the majority of Earth-like planets, if they actually exist," lead author Dr Caroline Dorn, from the University of Zurich, said in a statement. "In our calculations, we found that these planets have 10 to 20 percent lower densities than Earth. We looked at different scenarios to explain the observed densities. We've thus found three candidates that belong to a new class of super-Earths with this exotic composition." Top stories Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev arrived in Moscow on April 22 to hold talks with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". Partner news | Putin congratulates Pashinyan’s birthday Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on his birthday on June 1. Opposition motorcade en route to Gyumri for large rally A motorcade of protesters headed by Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan is heading to the city of Gyumri. Ruling MPs, Foreign Minister talk Armenia-Azerbaijan processes MOs from the ruling Civil Contract party met with the Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan in the Armenian parliament. Russia: Armenia’s frozen membership weakens CSTO position in Caucasus A Russian envoy said any step that could alienate the CSTO member states from each other is “deeply wrong”. |