UNM Newsroom / News / NASA’s TESS, Spitzer Missions Discover a World Orbiting a Unique Young Star

Scientists have

Scientists have

discovered a planet about as large as Neptune that circles the young star AU Mic.

Credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center/Chris Smith (USRA)

Illustration depicting AU Mic,

Illustration depicting AU Mic,

an M-type red dwarf star at least 150 times younger than our Sun. The dark areas represent huge sunspot-like regions that helped complicate the search for planets.

Credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center/Chris Smith (USRA)

Illustration depicting one

Illustration depicting one

interpretation of AU Mic b. NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) and retired Spitzer Space Telescope were instrumental in the discovery of a planet about as large as Neptune.

Credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center/Chris Smith (USRA)

NASA’s TESS, Spitzer Missions Discover a World Orbiting a Unique Young Star

UNM Research Assistant Professor Diana Dragomir plays key role

June 24, 2020

Categories: Front Page College of Arts & Sciences Physics & Astronomy Research

Tags: NASA research

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