Consider the following statements with respect to Super-Earth planet:1...
- A super-Earth is an extrasolar planet with a mass higher than Earth’s, but substantially below those of the Solar System’s ice giants, Uranus and Neptune, which are 14.5 and 17 times Earth’s, respectively. These planets can be up to 10 times more massive than Earth. If the super-Earth is in the habitable zone of its star and has a life-friendly atmosphere, it could host life, but that is not a guarantee.
- Also called the habitable zone or life zone, the Goldilocks region is an area of space in which a planet is just the right distance from its home star so that its surface is neither too hot nor too cold. The term ’’Super-Earth” refers only to the mass of the planet, and so does not imply anything about the surface conditions or habitability. Hence statement 1 is not correct.
- There are no known super-Earths in our solar system; they are all in extrasolar planetary systems. With telescope technology of today, most super-Earths have been found near M-class red dwarf stars (smaller than the sun) or G-class stars (similar to our sun). Stars that are bigger and shine brighter than the sun would simply wash super-Earths out, and make their tiny gravitational tugs hard to detect and the transit signals too small. Hence statement 2 is correct.
Consider the following statements with respect to Super-Earth planet:1...
Super-Earth planets are planets that have a mass higher than Earth but lower than that of ice giants such as Uranus and Neptune. Let's analyze the given statements one by one.
Statement 1: Super-Earth planets are located in Goldilocks zones only.
This statement is incorrect. The Goldilocks zone or the habitable zone is the region around a star where the temperature is just right for liquid water to exist on the surface of a planet. The presence of liquid water is considered a vital ingredient for the development of life as we know it. While it is true that some Super-Earth planets may be located in the habitable zone of their host star, not all Super-Earths are necessarily located in the habitable zone. Some Super-Earths may be too close to their star and may have a surface temperature too high for liquid water to exist, while others may be too far away and may have a surface temperature too low for liquid water to exist.
Statement 2: Our solar system does not have any known Super-Earths.
This statement is correct. While there are several rocky planets in our solar system, none of them have a mass higher than Earth. The largest rocky planet in our solar system is Venus, which has a mass that is only slightly lower than that of Earth. The gas giants in our solar system, such as Jupiter and Saturn, have masses that are much higher than that of Earth, but they are not considered Super-Earths as they are primarily composed of gas and do not have solid surfaces.
In conclusion, statement 1 is incorrect as not all Super-Earths are located in the habitable zone, and statement 2 is correct as our solar system does not have any known Super-Earths. Therefore, the correct answer is option B.