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Dec. 31, 2018
Image above: Illustration of one of the exotic planets, rich in sapphires and rubies, observed by Zurich and British researchers. - Thibaut Roger / University of Zurich UZH.
Scientists think they have discovered a new type of exoplanet. A team of researchers from the Universities of Zurich (Switzerland) and Cambridge (United Kingdom) has unearthed an extrasolar planet called HD219134b with a surface covered with sapphires and rubies.
This exoplanet is located in the constellation Cassiopeia, 21 light years from Earth. It is five times heavier than the Earth because it consists of a heart rich in calcium and aluminum.
Planets that shine
The planet HD219134 b has a high temperature because it is very close to its star. According to the first observations of the scientists, this temperature could be at the origin of the chemical reactions which caused the creation of the ruby blocks.
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"Maybe it shines with a blue and a red like rubies and sapphires, because these precious stones are aluminum oxides, common on this exoplanet", explains Caroline Dion, astrophysicist at the university from Zurich. According to her, this type of planet could be more common than we think, favoring the creation of a new category of exotic and rocky super-lands.
University of Zurich (UZH): https://www.uzh.ch/en.html
University of Cambridge: https://www.cam.ac.uk/
Images, Text, Credits: ATS / UZH / Orbiter.ch Aerospace / Roland Berga.
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