Scientists have announced a thrilling breakthrough with the identification of another potentially habitable planet located just 40 light-years away.
This celestial body, named Gliese 12 b, is a red dwarf orbiting its host star every 12.8 days within the constellation of Pisces. It is slightly smaller than Earth, with dimensions more akin to Venus.
The estimated surface temperature of Gliese 12 b is around 42 degrees Celsius, sparking speculation about the possibility of human habitation in the distant future, albeit theoretically.
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However, scientists still need to determine the atmospheric conditions of Gliese 12 b, if it has an atmosphere at all. This crucial information is necessary to ascertain whether the planet can maintain temperatures that would allow water and life to exist on its surface.
Masayuki Kuzuhara, a project assistant professor at the Astrobiology Centre in Tokyo and co-leader of the research team alongside Akihiko Fukui, expressed the significance of their discovery. “We’ve found the nearest, transiting, temperate, Earth-size world located to date,” Kuzuhara stated. He added, “Although we don’t yet know whether it possesses an atmosphere, we’ve been thinking of it as an exo-Venus, with a similar size and energy received from its star as our planetary neighbor in the solar system.”
Professor Thomas Wilson from the University of Warwick, who also played a part in the discovery, highlighted the significance of Gliese 12 b in advancing the study of Earth-like planets. “This is a really exciting discovery and will help our research into planets similar to Earth,” he remarked.
Wilson noted the challenge of the planet’s distance, saying, “Sadly, this planet is a little far away for us to experience it more closely. The light we are seeing now is from 40 years ago – that’s how long it has taken to reach us here on Earth.”
He emphasized the rarity of such discoveries, stating, “Planets like Gliese 12 b are few and far between, so for us to be able to examine one this closely and learn about its atmosphere and temperature is very rare.”
The research team, including Wilson, utilized data from NASA’s satellites to confirm Gliese 12 b’s existence and its characteristics.
According to scientists’ analysis, Gliese 12 b shows no extreme signs of magnetic activity so far, setting it apart from many other red dwarfs.
Dr. Vincent Van Eylen from UCL shared his enthusiasm about the discovery, stating, “GJ12b is an incredibly exciting planet because its size is identical to that of Earth. Even though GJ12b is about 15 times closer to its star than Earth is to our Sun, because it orbits such a small star, the temperature on the planet may be quite similar to that on Earth.”
Dr. Van Eylen noted that while this similarity in temperature doesn’t guarantee habitability, it makes Gliese 12 b an excellent candidate for further study. “It does make it a great place to start looking,” he said.
He expressed optimism about future research, adding, “Fortunately, it’s also a very nearby star, so we will learn much more about the planet and its atmosphere with telescopes like JWST in the next years.”
