‘Eighteen Earths’ – newly discovered worlds that fall into the category of Earth-sized planets. Scientists detected these planets in 2019, the smallest of which is only 69 per cent of the size of Earth, while the largest is approximately twice the Earth’s radius. The transit least-squares (TLS) algorithm method used by the scientists in discovering the planets was a milestone in astrophysics and astronomy. The discovery of these planets inspired the artwork, depicting a galaxy with a sun/star orbited by eighteen planets and their moons, including various-sized stars and other planets. The reflective effects represent an abstract artwork of the TLS method used.

by Jay Horan

Sources

Heller, R., Hippke, M., & Rodenbeck, K. (2019, May 6).Transit least-squares survey. I. Discovery and validation of an Earth-sized planet in the four-planet system K2-32 near the 1:2:5:7 resonance. Astronomy & Astrophysics, 625, A31. https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/201935276

Heller, R., Hippke, M., & Rodenbeck, K. (2019, July 2). Transit least-squares survey-II. Discovery and validation of 17 new sub-to super-Earth-sized planets in multi-planet systems from K2. Astronomy & Astrophysics, 627, A66. https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/201935600

Max-Planck-Gesellschaft. (2019, May 22). 18 Earth-sized exoplanets discovered. https://www.mpg.de/13505027/0522-aero-061986-18-earth-sized-exoplanets-discovered.

Eighteen Earths

Work no. 2, 600 mm diameter, 2021

Celestial Collection, Jay Horan