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Scientists have spotted a few 1000 exoplanets, or planets orbiting stars other than our sunday. Exomoons are another story. There accept been some potential exomoons, but nothing definitive. At present, a team from Columbia Academy thinks information technology might take the first solid show of a moon exterior our solar organization, and Hubble is going to requite it a look.

While we haven't been able to identify any exomoons in the past, nosotros have every reason to recall they exist. After all, nearly planets in our solar organization have at least i moon. In the instance of gas giants, at that place tin can exist dozens of moons. Many of the exoplanets that can be reliably detected by current methods are gas giants, so there ought to be moons. Alex Teachey and David Kipping at Colombia may have found testify of 1 in information from the planet-hunting Kepler spacecraft.

The exoplanet in question is known as Kepler 1625b and orbits a star most four,000 low-cal-years away. The potential exomoon has been dubbed "Kepler 1625b i." The Kepler mission uses the transit method of detecting exoplanets. As a planet passes in front end of its star, Kepler registers a pocket-size drop in luminance. By analyzing the repeating pattern of these drops, scientists can determine a planet's size, orbital characteristics, and temperature. In the case of Kepler 1625b, in that location'due south a second, smaller dip in brightness that occurs ahead of or behind the primary ane, which could indicate a moon in orbit.

The team analyzed 284 planets looking for exactly this kind of signal, and Kepler 1625b "popped out." The transit method is non sensitive plenty to notice what we would usually think of equally a "moon," but Kepler 1625b i isn't like any moon in the solar organisation. Kepler 1625b is about the size of Jupiter, and perhaps as much equally 10 times equally massive. The exomoon, if it exists, could be the size of the planet Neptune. Thus, it'due south been nicknamed "Neptmoon." Something that large is within the detection limits of Kepler, but many smaller moons would still get unnoticed.

Hubble in orbit

Kepler 1625b will transit in front end of its star over again on October 29th, and the team intends to exist watching with the Hubble telescope when that happens. This could offer proof that Neptmoon is indeed a giant moon in orbit of Kepler 1625b.

Astronomers are keen to bear witness that exomoons exist because these objects are considered a potential abode for alien life in orbit of uninhabitable gas giants. Future instruments like the Webb Telescope should also help place smaller exomoons that are more than hospitable to life every bit we know information technology.

Now read: The 25 Best Hubble Space Telescope Images