Scientists discover first alien Super-Earth with permanent dark and sun-lit sides

Scientists, in a path-breaking discovery, have found a nearby alien planet which hasone side locked in permanent darkness while the other side remains in endless sunshine.

This is the first major evidence which proves that the planets beyond our Solar System are also 'tidally locked' to their host stars and have an orbital period exactly similar to the rotational one.

Thisresults in one side of the exoplanet always facing the star and not having any respite from the heat and the other side facing perpetual night.

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The exoplanet, which is known as LHS 3844b, or Kua'kua, is close to its host star Batsu which is seen as uninhabitable to life.

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What are tidally locked exoplanets?

Tidal locking is a cosmic phenomenon which has been observed inside the Solar system, although it has not been found in any of the planets revolving around the Sun.

Tidal locking happens when the rotation cycle of two cosmic bodies slowly synchronises with their orbit because of gravitational interaction.

However, the findings have finally confirmed that tidally locked exoplanets also exist outside our solar systems and may be common in the Milky Way.

"This thing that has been theoretical now feels real," said astronomer Nicolas Cowan of McGill University in Canada, while speaking to Nature. "This is actually what these planets look like," he added.

As per the research, Kua'kua also doesn't have an atmosphere which means that any temperature readings are related directly to its surface.

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Headed by astronomer Xintong Lyu of Peking University in China, a global thermal model of an exoplanet was developed by the researchers. It did not have an atmosphereand the model was compared to the observations of the system which were taken using the infrared Spitzer telescope.

The scientists were also searching for evidence of internal heating which is generated by the ever-changing distortion that takes place during an asynchronous orbit.

The exoplanets, which are not tidally locked, generate internal stress from the gravity of the star which constantly tries to change its shape and heats up the exoplanet from the inside. This heat inside the exoplanet isdetected in infrared light.

It was discovered that the exoplanet is far too cool for anything apart from a tidally locked orbit.

(With inputs from agencies)