A new study claims to have found an exoplanet which is habitable just like the earth. The exoplanet is said to be illuminated by a pair of stars alike the sun. It has been found based on a model designed on the basis of a binary solar system called the Kepler 35.
According to United Press International, during the research, scientists introduced a small earth-sized exoplanet in place of Kepler 35b, the sole planet in the Kepler 35 solar system. The model helped the scientists in understanding how a rocky planet's atmosphere is affected while orbiting a pair of stars like the Kepler A and B.
Researchers came to determine that the earth-sized exoplanet in the Kepler 35 binary solar system will comprise of only a small amount of water vapor. This will result in the planet's temperature to swing wildly each year, changes as much as up to 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit on an average.
According to Mail Online, the study showed that the earth-sized exoplanet, if planted in the right place in a habitable zone, can capture its water content for a long time. This can, as per the researchers, help the planet in supporting life. This also indicates that almost all the two star planetary systems can be deemed suitable to host habitable planets, say the experts.
Going by the researchers, in a dual star solar system, an exoplanet that is closer to the stars but is still in the habitable zone will experience a high amount of water vapor in its atmosphere. On the other hand, the planet that is too close to the inner edge of the habitable zone will be experiencing a complete greenhouse gas effect, leading it to become completely inhospitable.
The unique model also shows that a rocky world inside the inner edge of Kepler 35 will feature less dramatic temperature shifts. This exoplanet will also have less cloud and fairly clear skies making the atmosphere 'livable'. The results of the study have been published in the journal "Nature Communications".