Scientists find new Super-Earth in space that is potentially habitable
They find a new planet in space that may be habitable (Illustrative photo: Getty Images)
A new Super-Earth has been discovered orbiting a star similar to the Sun. According to scientists, liquid water may exist on this planet, and it is likely to be suitable for human life.
Astronomy & Astrophysics website reveals what is known about this Super-Earth and whether humans will be able to reach it.
The new world was discovered just 20 light-years away from our planet, and this Super-Earth could become one of the most promising locations for studying an Earth-like atmosphere.
Scientists have confirmed the existence of HD 20794 d, a Super-Earth that orbits its star in 647 days, placing it in the habitable zone, also known as the Goldilocks Zone — the region where liquid water could exist on the surface. This is the third Super-Earth scientists have managed to find in recent decades.
The new planet is a Super-Earth in terms of mass, approximately six times heavier than Earth. It is the combination of the planet's distance from its star and the relative proximity of the system that makes it particularly interesting for observations using the 40-meter ELT telescope from ESO, as well as future space missions from ESA and NASA.
"This is the ideal type of planet for studying the atmosphere of Earth-like planets using next-generation tools and missions. In fact, we know very little about such planets. This will be one of the first that we can study in detail," said the authors of the study.
The discovery was made possible thanks to 20 years of observations and the use of cutting-edge techniques for measuring radial velocity. The ESPRESSO and HARPS spectrographs, located at ESO observatories in Chile, are among the most advanced in the world. They are capable of measuring tiny fluctuations in the speed of stars caused by the gravitational influence of planets in the system.
The research team also applied sophisticated methods to process the obtained spectral data.
"We have been working on analyzing the data for years, gradually checking and eliminating all possible sources of contamination," added co-author of the study and researcher from Oxford University, Michael Cretinier.
And although the new planet is in the habitable zone of its system, it is still too early to say whether it can support life. Its large mass and eccentric orbit make it very different from Earth.
Unlike most planets, its orbit is not circular but elliptical. This means that its distance from the star changes significantly, and the planet moves from the outer edge of the habitable zone to its inner edge throughout its year.
"HD 20794 d is not a second Earth for humanity, but its position and unusual orbit give us a unique opportunity to study how conditions for life change over time and how these changes might affect the development of the planet's atmosphere," explained co-author of the work and researcher Alejandro Suárez Mascareño.
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