14 DAY TRIAL // Unless you're in the habit of not paying very close attention to the things you read, you might have noticed that, whenever astronomers announce the discovery of some new celestial body, they say that it's “approximately” this big.
This is because, when it comes to objects floating about in space, pinning down their precise size and shape is a complicated thing to do. Luckily, it looks like these minor setbacks in space exploration will soon become a thing of the past.
Thus, astronomers are pleased to announced that, with the help of NASA's Kepler and Spitzer Space Telescopes, they have succeeded in making the most precise measurement ever of an alien planet located quite far from Earth.
According to Phys Org, the planet in question is dubbed Kepler-93b. It sits about 300 light-years away, and previous investigations revealed that the average temperature on its surface is one of about 1,400 degrees Fahrenheit (760 degrees Celsius).
As explained in a paper in the Astrophysical Journal, Kepler and Spitzer have helped determine that this planet has a diameter of about 11,700 miles (18,800 kilometers), give or take 150 miles (240 kilometers). This error bar is the equivalent of just 1% the planet's radius.
“The measurement is so precise that it's literally like being able to measure the height of a six-foot tall person to within three quarters of an inch – if that person were standing on Jupiter,” researcher Sarah Ballard said in a statement.
“With Kepler and Spitzer, we've captured the most precise measurement to date of an alien planet's size, which is critical for understanding these far-off worlds,” the University of Washington in Seattle scientist added.