A recent study published in Nature Astronomy uses a new method to challenge previous studies regarding the discoveries of the first exomoons around two exoplanets, Kepler-1708b and Kepler-1625b, located approximately 5,436 and 7,534 light-years from Earth, respectively. This study was conducted by researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research and the Sonnenberg Observatory and holds the potential to develop new observational methods in identifying and confirming the existence of exomoons throughout the cosmos.
Artist illustration of an exomoon orbiting a gas giant. (Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech)
“Exomoons are so far away that we cannot see them directly, even with the most powerful modern telescopes,” said Dr. René Heller, who is an astrophysicist at Max Planck and lead author of the study.
Leave a reply