Page 28 - ARUBA TODAY

A28 SCIENCE
Monday 30 SepteMber 2019
Big world around tiny star puts new spin on planet formation

By MARCIA DUNN ticularly small and cool red
AP Aerospace Writer dwarf star, officially known
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) as GJ 3512, is at least half
— A giant world discovered the mass of Jupiter. Scien-
around a tiny star is putting tists are unable to measure
a new spin on how planets its dimensions, but models
form. indicate it may be compa-
Astronomers reported rable to Jupiter in size, ac-
Thursday they've found a cording to Morales.
Jupiter-like planet orbiting Using observatories in
a star that's a mere 12% the Spain, the researchers re-
mass of our sun. There may peatedly studied the star's
even be another big gas wobbling motion to dis-
planet lurking in this system close the planet in its lop-
31 light-years away. sided orbit, rather than rely
The Spanish-led team wrote on the transit method in
in the journal Science that which a brief, periodic dim-
the newly confirmed plan- ming of starlight indicates a
et did not form the usual, planet passing in front of its
gradual way, where a solid star.
core of merging particles The star is so faint it almost
takes shape before a gas didn't make it into the
buildup. Instead, in a sur- group's survey. Scientists
prise to scientists, the plan- needed more small stars for
et seems to have arisen This image provided by Guillem Anglada-Escude shows a comparison of orbits of the red dwarf sampling and so added a
straight from gas. star GJ 3512 and its newly identified gas giant planet GJ 5312b, center, to the Earth's solar system few at the last minute.
Lead author Juan Carlos and other nearby red-dwarf planetary systems. "We were lucky to do so
Morales of the Institute of Associated Press because otherwise we
Space Studies of Cata- would have never made
lonia said the planet may around low-mass stars." process, said Hubert Klahr 4,000 so-called exoplanets this discovery," Ignasi Ribas,
be almost as big as its star. Morales and his team of Max Planck Institute for have been confirmed in director of the Catalonia
A year there is about 200 maintain that gravitational Astronomy in Germany, solar systems outside our space studies institute, said
days. instability in a young star's part of the research team. own. While another new in a statement. Morales
"It was very exciting find- disk of gas and dust could, "This find prompts us to re- one, by itself, is no longer and his colleagues contin-
ing this planet because it in some cases, result in the view our models." particularly noteworthy, he ue to search for a second
was completely unexpect- quick formation of huge In a companion article, said, "one that challenges planet orbiting this dwarf
ed," Morales wrote in an gas planets — even when Yale University astronomer current theories of planet star. There may have been
email. The results indicate the star is minuscule. This Greg Laughlin, who was formation can animate as- a third planet that was
"a new population of mas- new world is "an extraor- not involved in the study, tronomers." ejected from the system
sive planets may also exist dinary candidate" for this pointed out that more than The planet orbiting this par- long ago, they noted.q

Report: 58% of Europe-only trees face extinction threat

GENEVA (AP) — An interna- said.. called for the creation of
tional conservation group The findings come amid protected areas, improved
is warning that more than heightened concern about monitoring and increased
half of the European tree environmental issues and research on the impacts of
species that exist nowhere extinction risks in Europe climate change on forests
else in the world are threat- and beyond. A U.N. report and individual tree species.
ened with extinction. on biodiversity released in The conservancy highlight-
The International Union for May warned that extinc- ed Aesculus hippocasta-
the Conservation of Nature tion looms for over 1 million num, or the horse chestnut
said in a new report Friday species of plants and ani- tree, native to southeastern
that 58% of Europe's 265 mals. Europe. The polished brown
endemic trees face an el- IUCN, a 71-year-old orga- conker inside its spiked fruit
evated risk of disappearing nization known for its "Red "is perhaps more famous
In this undated handout photo provided by International Union from the continent. List" classification of threat- than the tree itself" be-
for Conservation of Nature, an endangered Sorbus bosniaca is More than 150 experts ened species, said that cause of its use in children's
seen in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Associated Press contributed to the report, "invasive and problematic" playground games, the re-
which the conservancy species are the top threat port said.
called the first comprehen- to European trees, with The species, present in Eu-
sive assessment of the ex- urban development and rope since before the last
tinction threat for all types "unsustainable logging" as Ice Age, has been threat-
of trees native to Europe. other factors. ened by defoliation be-
The European Red List of The group's Europe direc- cause of the leaf miner
Trees classified 37% of Eu- tor, Luc Bas, said "human- moth, and a blotch caused
rope's 454 native tree spe- led activities" were resulting by a fungus, as well as by
cies as "threatened." Of in population declines of human pressures. It is en-
those, 15% are "critically important tree species. dangered in Bulgaria and
endangered," a step away Among the recommenda- Greece and critically en-
from extinction, the report tions , the report's authors dangered in Albania.q