Scientists have discovered two almost completely water-covered planets for the first time
Astronomers at the University of Montreal in Canada have presented evidence that two planets that are "water worlds" revolve around the red dwarf Kepler-138. The scientists' article was published in the journal Nature Astronomy.
Scientists conducted observations of the transit of exoplanets Kepler-138c and Kepler-138d using NASA Hubble and Spitzer space telescopes and found that these celestial bodies, which are several times larger than Earth, can be completely covered with water.
Water has not been detected directly, but calculations have shown that a significant part of the volume of exoplanets contains volatile substances that are heavier than hydrogen or helium.
Kepler-138c and Kepler-138d have a thick dense atmosphere rich in water vapor and a mantle ocean of liquid water two thousand kilometers deep. In the center of the planets are nuclei with an Earth-like ratio of silicates and iron.
The Kepler-138 system is located at a distance of 217 light—years from the Sun and consists of 3 planets, but scientists have found signs of a fourth planet - Kepler-138e, which may also have water.
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