In a disappointing turn for Star Trek fans, a planet once believed to orbit the star 40 Eridani A – the fictional home of Mr. Spock's planet Vulcan – has been unmasked as an astronomical mirage caused by the star's own pulsations and movements.
The potential discovery of an exoplanet around 40 Eridani A, announced in 2018, generated significant excitement as it seemed to validate the iconic science fiction setting.
These activities coincide with the star's 42-day rotation period, mimicking the signal previously attributed to a planet.
"While the new finding, at least for now, robs star 40 Eridani A of its possible planet Vulcan, the news isn't all bad," said Abigail Burrows of Dartmouth College, who led the study.
Although the loss of Vulcan may disappoint Star Trek enthusiasts, the researchers' ability to discern genuine exoplanets from stellar activity represents a significant advancement in the ongoing quest to discover strange new worlds.
In a disappointing turn for Star Trek fans, a planet once believed to orbit the star 40 Eridani A – the fictional home of Mr. Spock's planet Vulcan – has been unmasked as an astronomical mirage caused by the star's own pulsations and movements.
The potential discovery of an exoplanet around 40 Eridani A, announced in 2018, generated significant excitement as it seemed to validate the iconic science fiction setting.
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However, subsequent studies raised doubts about the planet's existence, leading to the latest high-precision observations that have effectively debunked the celestial body.
The findings have been published in The Astronomical Journal.
Astronomers employed the cutting-edge NEID instrument at Kitt Peak National Observatory to scrutinize the star's radial velocity – the subtle shifts in its light spectrum caused by an orbiting planet's gravitational tug. By analyzing these shifts across different wavelengths emitted from various depths of the star's atmosphere, the researchers uncovered discrepancies that ruled out the presence of a planet. Vulcan was first identified as Spock’s home planet in the original 1960s television series. (Photo: JPL)
Instead, the perceived "wobble" in the star's motion is likely caused by surface features like starspots and bright plages, coupled with the roiling of hotter and cooler layers beneath, a phenomenon known as convection. These activities coincide with the star's 42-day rotation period, mimicking the signal previously attributed to a planet.
"While the new finding, at least for now, robs star 40 Eridani A of its possible planet Vulcan, the news isn't all bad," said Abigail Burrows of Dartmouth College, who led the study.
"The demonstration of such finely tuned radial velocity measurements holds out the promise of making sharper observational distinctions between actual planets and the shakes and rattles on surfaces of distant stars," Burrows added.
Although the loss of Vulcan may disappoint Star Trek enthusiasts, the researchers' ability to discern genuine exoplanets from stellar activity represents a significant advancement in the ongoing quest to discover strange new worlds.
In the word of Spock "We will find hope in the impossible."
Published By: Sibu Kumar Tripathi Published On: May 30, 2024
