Astronomers have identified a tantalizing new target in the search for extraterrestrial life: a rocky exoplanet just 20 light-years from Earth that may harbor the right conditions for habitability.
The planet, known as Gliese 12 b, orbits a cool red dwarf star in the constellation Pisces. With a size about 1.1 times that of Earth and a surface temperature estimated around 42°C (107°F), Gliese 12 b sits in the so-called "habitable zone"—the region around a star where liquid water could exist on a planet’s surface.
What makes Gliese 12 b especially exciting is its proximity and potential atmosphere. Unlike many exoplanets orbiting red dwarfs, which are often bombarded by stellar flares that strip away atmospheres, Gliese 12 b’s host star appears relatively calm. This raises hopes that the planet may have retained a stable atmosphere—an essential ingredient for life as we know it.
The discovery was made using data from NASA’s TESS (Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite) and Japan’s Subaru Telescope. Scientists are now eager to study Gliese 12 b with the James Webb Space Telescope, which could detect signs of an atmosphere and even potential biosignatures.
If confirmed to have an atmosphere, Gliese 12 b would become one of the most promising nearby worlds for studying the conditions that make a planet habitable—and perhaps even for finding signs of life beyond Earth.
π Read more on Space.com
No comments:
Post a Comment