Another exoplanet of note was discovered recently, and I’m including it today because it’s just cool. Well, not cool as in temperature. In that case, it’s really hot.

A new paper in The Astrophysical Journal Letters reveals that this exoplanet, LHS 3844b, might be the first example of another world with global tectonics. The researchers found evidence that the planet has what we call “flow patterns” inside it. These observations are made possible for the exact opposite reason that Gliese 486b is potentially fascinating — LHS 3844b has no atmosphere.

LHS 3844b is an Earth-sized rocky planet, tidally locked with its star. That means that one side of the planet stays incredibly hot from the star’s radiation while the opposite side is extremely cold. Based on computer simulations, the scientists determined that there is flow inside the planet from one hemisphere to the other. Lead author Tobias Meier explains: Most simulations showed that there was only upwards flow on one side of the planet and downwards flow on the other. Material, therefore, flowed from one hemisphere to the other.

Imagine a planet with tons of volcanoes on one side and none on the other. That is one possible configuration for LHS 3844b, and the team hopes to keep studying this world for more answers.

More Information

NCCR PlanetS press release

University of Bern press release

“Hemispheric Tectonics on LHS 3844b,” Tobias G. Meier et al., 2021 February 24, The Astrophysical Journal Letters