TOI-561b is a fascinating planet located far away in our Milky Way galaxy. It’s called a “Super Earth” because it’s bigger than Earth but still rocky. What’s really cool about TOI-561b is that it’s one of the oldest rocky planets scientists have found!
In 2020, a special space telescope named TESS found TOI-561b. This planet is about 280 light-years away from us. That’s super far! Scientists think TOI-561b is around 10 billion years old. That’s way older than our Earth, which is about 4.5 billion years old.
TOI-561b is about one-third bigger than Earth and weighs about 1.59 times more. Because of its size and weight, it’s called a Super Earth.
TOI-561b moves around its star really fast. It takes only 10.5 hours to complete one orbit! Because it’s so close to its star, the planet is extremely hot. The temperature on TOI-561b can reach about 3,630 degrees Fahrenheit. That’s twice as hot as lava on Earth!
The planet is tidally locked, which means one side always faces the star and is super hot, while the other side is always dark. The hot side probably has a huge ocean of melted rock called magma.
Scientists like Lauren Weiss and her team from the University of Hawaii are studying TOI-561b. They think it’s too hot for any life to survive there. The high temperatures and magma ocean make it a tough place for living things.
TOI-561b is an exciting planet for scientists to study. Its age, size, and extreme heat help us learn more about how rocky planets form and change over time. As scientists keep exploring space, TOI-561b will continue to be an important piece of the puzzle in understanding different planets in our galaxy.
Make Your Own Planet Model: Use clay or playdough to create a model of TOI-561b. Remember, it’s bigger than Earth, so make sure your model is larger than a clay Earth model. Think about the features of TOI-561b, like its rocky surface and the fact that one side is always hot. Can you show this in your model? Once you’re done, explain to a friend or family member why TOI-561b is called a “Super Earth” and what makes it special.
Temperature Experiment: TOI-561b is extremely hot on one side. To understand how heat affects materials, try this simple experiment. Take two small bowls and fill one with warm water and the other with cold water. Place a small piece of chocolate in each bowl and observe what happens. Discuss why the chocolate melts in the warm water and relate it to why TOI-561b’s hot side might have a magma ocean.
Imagine Life on a Super Earth: Even though scientists think life can’t exist on TOI-561b, imagine what kind of creatures might live there if they could. Draw a picture of your imaginary creature and write a short story about how it survives in such a hot environment. Think about what it might eat, where it might live, and how it stays cool.
