Astronomers have long been fascinated by the possibility of finding exoplanets, planets that orbit stars outside our solar system. One such exoplanet, located around 16.3 light-years from Earth, was initially thought to resemble the fictional planet Vulcan from the Star Trek franchise. However, scientists have now discovered that this exoplanet may not exist after all.
The supposed exoplanet, designated HD 26965 b, was first detected using the radial velocity method, which measures the subtle shifts in starlight caused by the gravitational pull of an orbiting planet. The discovery of HD 26965 b caused quite a stir among Star Trek fans, as it seemed to be a real-life version of Vulcan. However, doubts about the existence of HD 26965 b began to emerge as scientists realized that the star it orbits, Keid, is known to be quite jittery.
A team of scientists led by astronomer Abigail Burrows of Dartmouth College decided to take a closer look at HD 26965 b using NEID, an instrument located at Kitt Peak National Observatory. NEID is designed to measure the motion of nearby stars with extreme precision, and it allowed the team to separate the suspected planetary signal into its constituent wavelengths. This analysis revealed that the signal was not caused by an orbiting planet, but rather by something flickering at the surface of Keid approximately every 42 Earth days. This effect could be created by hot and cold plasma rising and falling through Keid’s atmosphere and interacting with surface features like dark patches or bright, active regions.
The discovery that HD 26965 b may not exist is a disappointment for Star Trek fans and exoplanet enthusiasts alike. However, it is also a reminder of the challenges of detecting exoplanets using the radial velocity method. This method is susceptible to false positives, and it is important to carefully interpret data before making any conclusions.
The team’s research is published in the Astronomical Journal. They hope that their work will help to improve the accuracy of exoplanet detection and lead to the discovery of many more real-life Vulcans in the future.
