NASA's TESS Discovers Earth-Sized 'Lava Hemisphere' Exoplanet HD 63433 d
Located 73 light-years away, the young planet orbits its sun-like star every 4.2 days and offers a unique opportunity to study early planetary evolution.
- NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) has discovered a new exoplanet, HD 63433 d, in a distant star system. The planet is similar in size to Earth and orbits a star similar in size to the Sun.
- The exoplanet is tidally locked, meaning one side always faces its star, resulting in extreme temperatures of up to 1,257 degrees Celsius on its dayside, which may consist mainly of hot, flowing lava.
- HD 63433 d completes an orbit around its host star in just 4.2 days and is eight times closer to its star than Mercury is to the Sun.
- HD 63433 d is considered a 'very young' planet, having formed 400 million years ago, and is a primary target for further exploration efforts to validate prevailing theories about planetary formation and evolution.
- HD 63433 d is located 73 light-years from Earth and is part of a star system that includes two other exoplanets discovered in 2020. The system is part of the Ursa Major moving group of stars.