Kathmandu: Astronomers have confirmed more than 100 exoplanets outside our solar system using a powerful new Artificial Intelligence-based tool called ‘Raven.’ Among these, 31 are reported to be entirely new planets. This discovery was made through the analysis of data collected by NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) mission. During the study, some rare and extreme types of planets were also found, which orbit their stars at high speeds in very close proximity. Additionally, planets located in a rare region of space known as the ‘Neptunian Desert’ were identified—an area where medium-sized gaseous planets like Neptune are rarely found, especially when positioned close to their stars.
This study was conducted by astronomers from the University of Warwick. The results of the research have been published in the scientific journal ‘Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.’ The research team analyzed data from more than 2.2 million stars collected over a four-year period. In modern space research, while thousands of potential planetary signals are detected, it is often difficult to distinguish real planets from false signals. The ‘Raven’ tool has helped solve this problem. It has been trained on millions of data samples, allowing it to determine whether a dip in a star’s brightness is caused by a planet or other celestial phenomena.
Researchers focused specifically on planets that orbit close to their stars, completing a full revolution in less than 16 days. According to the lead researcher of the study, Dr. Marina Lafarga Magro, 118 planets have been confirmed with the help of ‘Raven,’ while more than 2,000 high-probability candidates have been identified, of which approximately 1,000 are new. The new findings include ultra-short-period planets that complete an orbit around their star in less than 24 hours. Rare planets located within the ‘Neptunian Desert’ region are also included in this discovery.
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