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astronomy

L 98-59

L 98-59 is a astronomy topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand L 98-59 rather than just read about it. In short: L 98-59 (TOI-175, TIC 307210830) is a red dwarf star located in the constellation of Volans, at a distance of 10.608 parsecs (34.60 light-years), as measured by the Gaia spacecraft. Broadband photometry shows that it is an M dwarf star, redder, smaller and fainter than the Sun.

L 98-59 — main illustration
L 98-59 — illustration

Key takeaways

  • L 98-59 belongs to astronomy; place it in that map before memorising details.
  • Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
  • Connect L 98-59 to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
  • Reproduce the core statement of L 98-59 from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

L 98-59 (TOI-175, TIC 307210830) is a red dwarf star located in the constellation of Volans, at a distance of 10.608 parsecs (34.60 light-years), as measured by the Gaia spacecraft. Broadband photometry shows that it is an M dwarf star, redder, smaller and fainter than the Sun. It has three confirmed terrestrial-sized planets in transit, which were announced in 2019 by TESS, as well as two additional non-transiting planets, for a total of five known planets. The outermost planet is in the habitable zone.

Planetary system The planets L 98-59 b, c, and d were discovered in 2019 by TESS. The non-transiting potential super-Venus planet L 98-59 e was discovered in 2021, along with indications of the presence of L 98-59 f, another non-transiting super-Earth located in the system's habitable zone. In 2025, the planet f was confirmed, and an additional planet candidate orbiting interior to planet b was detected. The two innermost confirmed planets, L 98-59 b and c, as well as L 98-59 e are possibly hot rocky worlds. L 98-59 d has a low density, around 2.2 g/cm3 versus 5.5 g/cm3 for Earth, indicating large amounts of volatiles.

Atmosphere characterization In September 2021, suggested tests of the abilities of the Hubble Space Telescope and the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) to detect and describe the atmospheric features of the three inner planets were reported. Hubble observations of the three transiting planets in 2022 found no clear evidence of atmospheres, with high mean molecular weight atmospheres, cloudy or hazy atmospheres, or no atmospheres all being consistent with the observed flat spectra. However, the JWST did find evidence of sulfur dioxide, hydrogen and hydrogen sulfide for planets b and d, suggesting that both are sulfur-rich volcanic worlds with strong tidal heating, and may contain a global internal magma ocean. A 2026 study was able to confirm the presence of hydrogen sulfide for planet d using ground-based telescope.

Gallery

See also List of potentially habitable exoplanets List of exoplanets discovered in 2019 TOI-700 d – Goldilocks terrestrial planet orbiting TOI-700

References

External links New ESO observations show rocky exoplanet has just half the mass of Venus (ESO press release) TESS – Official Website Smallest exoplanet found so far (video; 1:53; NASA; June 2019)

Illustrations

L 98-59 illustration
L 98-59: Artist's impression of the L 98-59 system, compared to the inner Solar System. Distances are not to scale.[23]
Artist's impression of the L 98-59 system, compared to the inner Solar System. Distances are not to scale.[23]

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with L 98-59

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what L 98-59 claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In astronomy, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to L 98-59 before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about L 98-59 ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of L 98-59

In research
L 98-59 appears in astronomy research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry
Engineering practice reuses L 98-59 in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom
L 98-59 is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics M-type main-sequence stars, Planetary systems with five confirmed planets, TESS Objects of Interest, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life
Look for L 98-59 outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study L 98-59 in 20 minutes

  1. Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
  2. Close the page and write down what L 98-59 means in your own words.
  3. Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
  4. Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
  5. Explain L 98-59 out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is L 98-59 in simple terms?

L 98-59 (TOI-175, TIC 307210830) is a red dwarf star located in the constellation of Volans, at a distance of 10.608 parsecs (34.60 light-years), as measured by the Gaia spacecraft. Broadband photometry shows that it is an M dwarf star, redder, smaller and fainter than the Sun.

Why does L 98-59 matter?

Because it connects several astronomy ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study L 98-59?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on L 98-59.

Tags

  • M-type main-sequence stars
  • Planetary systems with five confirmed planets
  • TESS Objects of Interest
  • Volans

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