From detecting an Earth-sized planet that is covered in volcanoes to a pathbreaking discovery that could improve the lives of brain cancer patients, a lot of things have happened this week in the field of science. Here are the top science stories of the week.
Newly detected Earth-sized planet is covered in volcanoes
Scientists have detected an Earth-sized planet that is covered in volcanoes — similar to Jupiter’s moon Io, the most volcanically active body in our solar system. Located 86 light-years away, the planet’s volcanism was not directly observed but rather inferred due to its significant gravitational interaction with the larger of the two other planets orbiting the dim star. The gravitational tug from the larger planet may squeeze and flex the newly identified one, heating up its interior and causing surface volcanic activity, similar to Io.
