New Planet And Search For Extra Terrestrial Life
Exciting news from the world of science!
Researchers have discovered a planet that could potentially support life, and it’s the same size as Earth. This discovery opens up fascinating possibilities for our understanding of the universe and the search for extraterrestrial life.
Gliese 12b is an intriguing exoplanet that orbits a cool red dwarf star, situated a mere 40 light-years from our own solar system.
Exciting news has emerged from the scientific community as two teams of researchers have identified a theoretically habitable planet. This intriguing world is smaller than Earth yet larger than Venus, and it orbits a small star located approximately 40 light-years from our own solar system.
Meet Gliese 12b, an intriguing exoplanet that dances around a cool red dwarf star in the constellation Pisces. This star is approximately 27% the size of our sun and boasts about 60% of its temperature. These fascinating details come from two studies that were recently published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters and Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.
Despite its star being significantly smaller than our sun, Gliese 12b remains in the habitable zone. This is the perfect distance from a star where liquid water can thrive, even though the planet wraps up its orbit in just 12.8 days.
Assuming the exoplanet lacks an atmosphere, researchers have estimated its surface temperature to be approximately 107 degrees Fahrenheit (42 degrees Celsius).
“We’ve discovered the closest transiting temperate Earth-sized planet known so far,” shared Masayuki Kuzuhara, a project assistant professor at the Astrobiology Centre in Tokyo and co-leader of one of the research teams alongside Akihiko Fukui, a project assistant professor at the University of Tokyo, in a recent statement.
After identifying temperate Earth-size planets, scientists will dive into analysing their atmospheres to uncover the elements they contain and, most importantly, to find out if water exists to support life.
“We’ve discovered only a few exoplanets that stand out as promising candidates for that.” “And this is our nearest, so that’s quite a major discovery,” said Larissa Palethorpe, a doctoral student at the University of Edinburgh and University College London, who co-led the other study, during an interview with CNN on Friday.
Exploring the Mysteries of Gliese 12b
Scientists have turned to the wealth of publicly available data gathered by NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) to identify Gliese 12b. This remarkable telescope diligently observes tens of thousands of stars each month, monitoring their brightness fluctuations, which can indicate the presence of orbiting exoplanets.
Astronomers have a bit of an advantage when it comes to spotting exoplanets that orbit red dwarf stars. The smaller size of these stars creates a more noticeable dimming effect during each transit, making the search a little easier and more efficient.
Currently, scientists are grappling with the mysteries of this planet’s atmosphere. They’re uncertain about its composition, whether it even exists, and the possibility of water being present. However, Palethorpe mentioned that they aren’t anticipating any discoveries of water in that environment.
“If there’s no water, it’s a clear sign that a runaway greenhouse effect has already taken hold on this planet, making it resemble Venus,” she remarked. “Imagine if there were water, making it more similar to our own experience…” There are certain signatures that can indicate the progression of the runaway greenhouse effect, suggesting that a planet might be losing its water resources.
As we move forward in our exploration of exoplanets, the next exciting step involves utilising the James Webb Space Telescope for a detailed spectroscopy analysis of their atmospheres. This cutting-edge technology promises to unveil new insights into these distant worlds. This technique concentrates on gathering the starlight that penetrates an exoplanet’s atmosphere, enabling us to pinpoint the wavelengths that particular molecules absorb, thus revealing their presence within the atmosphere.
In addition to revealing fascinating details about the exoplanet, Palethorpe mentioned that researchers are optimistic this study will enhance our understanding of Earth as well.
“This planet offers valuable insights into the conditions that allowed Earth to remain habitable while Venus did not…” “It can reveal the pathways to habitability that planets follow as they evolve,” she explained.
While this exoplanet shows promise for human habitability and is considered relatively close to our solar system in the vastness of space, the reality is that a visit there is not on the horizon anytime soon.
“It’s not reachable; it’s 12 parsecs away,” Palethorpe explained, noting that even with our fastest spacecraft, it would take approximately 225,000 years to reach Gliese 12b.
