Until now, researchers have not found evidence of global tectonic activity on planets outside the Solar System. However, recently a group of researchers found evidence of flows inside the planet LHS 3844b. It is located 45 light-years from Earth.
«It is very difficult to observe signs of tectonic activity, because they are usually hidden under the atmosphere,» explains the scientist. However, recent results have shown that LHS 3844b probably has no atmosphere at all. This rocky world, which is slightly larger than Earth, orbits very closely around its star. Because of this, one side of the planet is in constant daylight, and the other in constant night. Similarly, the same side of the moon always faces the Earth. However, the «dark» half is illuminated by bright volcanic eruptions.
Due to the lack of an atmosphere protecting the planet from intense radiation, its surface reaches 800 °C. The night side freezes. The temperature here may fall below -250 °C.
