Astronomers recently used a combination of space telescope observations and computer models to learn more about the super-Earth, TOI-771 b, that was discovered in 2024 using the transit method and orbits an M-dwarf star, which is smaller and cooler than our Sun. Additionally, they attempted to ascertain the existence of a sub-Neptune exoplanet that does not transit its star. These findings were recently submitted to the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics and holds the potential to help astronomers better understand the formation and evolution of exoplanetary systems and new methods we can use to identify and study new exoplanets.
TOI-771 b is located approximately 82 light-years from Earth and was discovered using NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) mission in 2024. While the initial discovery estimated the planetary radius of TOI-771 b was approximately 1.42 Earth radii, the purpose of this recent study was to ascertain more precise estimates regarding TOI-771 b’s planetary and orbital characteristics.
In the end, the researchers found that the radius, mass, and orbital period for TOI-771 b was approximately 1.36, 2.47, and 2.3 days, respectively. Additionally, the researchers identified a second exoplanet, TOI-771 c, which is being designated as a non-transiting exoplanet with an approximate mass and orbital period of 2.87 and 7.61, respectively. This study helps build on the THIRSTEE project, which aims to identify and study sub-Neptune exoplanets throughout the cosmos.
The study concludes by stating, “The characterization of the TOI-771 system provides a valuable addition to the sample of small, well-characterized planets around M dwarfs, pursuing one of the goals of the THIRSTEE project by enlarging the sample of well-characterized planets across spectral types, with the ultimate aim of understanding the sub-Neptune population under a global perspective.”
What new discoveries about the TOI-771 system will researchers make in the coming years and decades? Only time will tell, and this is why we science!
As always, keep doing science & keep looking up!
Sources: Astronomy & Astrophysics, Astrophysical Data System
Featured Image: Artist's concept of TOI-771 b. (Credit: NASA)
