Super-Earth TOI-512b Discovered Lacking Atmosphere

An international team of astronomers, utilizing data from the TESS space telescope and the ESPRESSO instrument on the Very Large Telescope in Chile, has identified a super-Earth, designated TOI-512b, devoid of an atmosphere. Located approximately 218 light-years from Earth, the planet was initially observed by TESS in 2020, which detected a transit signal indicating the planet's orbit. Subsequent observations from Chile confirmed its existence. TOI-512b has a radius 1.54 times that of Earth and a mass 3.57 times greater. Its calculated density is 5.62 grams per cubic centimeter, slightly denser than Earth. The planet orbits its star every 7.1 days at a distance of 9,863,797 kilometers, receiving 112 times more heat from its star than Earth does from the Sun. The planet's surface is too hot to sustain liquid water, placing it outside the habitable zone. Scientists believe the planet's lack of atmosphere is due to intense radiation from its star, which strips away the atmosphere over time. The planet's age is estimated at 8.235 billion years.