NASA Discovers Super-Earth Planet in Habitable Zone 137 Light Years Away

(Photo: Wikimedia Commons/ESO/M. Kornmesser/Nick Risinger)
NASA Discovers Super-Earth Planet in Habitable Zone 137 Light Years Away

A new super-Earth planet was recently discovered, and it could potentially host life. Astronomers plan to analyze its properties more.

New Super-Earth That Could Potentially Host Life

A "super-Earth" that NASA has found in the habitable zone 137 light years away may hold the key to life. The exoplanet, known as TOI-715 b, is 1.5 times bigger than Earth and revolves around a tiny, reddish star that may release enough heat for liquid water to exist on its surface, which is a necessary component for supporting life.

Astronomers will now examine the characteristics and atmosphere of TOI-715 b to ascertain whether it is a potential companion planet.

Since 2018, exoplanets-worlds outside of our solar system have been the subject of study for astronomers thanks to tools like NASA's James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), which has allowed them to uncover some of the world's innate features in addition to finding new ones.

'Transiting' planets circle stars similar to our Sun, and the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) was designed to study them. TESS was launched six years ago.

Once TESS returned hints about the existence of TOI-715 b, a global team of scientists led by the University of Birmingham employed a variety of Earth-based telescopes to pinpoint its location.

The researchers discovered that TOI-715 b orbits much more tightly than Earth, crossing its stars' faces more frequently and finishing an orbit every 19 days.

By Earth's standards, this is equivalent to one "year."

That also implies that one side of the super-Earth is always facing its star.

The location may impact the climate and weather and result in significant temperature variations between the day and night.

One more planet the size of Earth might exist in the same system.

Researchers added that if confirmed, the second Earth-like planet within TOI-175 b's orbit would be the minorst planet found by TESS in the habitable zone.

NASA reported that planet TOI-175 b has joined the group of planets in the habitable zone that the Webb telescope may observe more closely, possibly even looking for indications of an atmosphere.

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What Makes a Planet Habitable?

The area surrounding a star, known as the "habitable zone," is where planets can get the right amount of heat to keep liquid water on their surfaces. Our knowledge of habitability has been shaped by the fact that Earth id in the Sun's habitable zone.

But the standards for exoplanet habitability are changing as scientists find new, unexpected habitats that support life. Astronomers have also discovered that planets might not be habitable even in the habitable zone.

Planets circling stars that emit a lot of UV and X-ray radiation due to flares and activity may lose their atmosphere and become warm but oxygen-free planets. Scientists at SEEC are creating state-of-the-art models to comprehend the variety of planetary conditions that may harbor life and produce observable biosignatures.

As for the newly discovered super-Earth TOI-175 b, a lot will depend on the planet's other characteristics, such as its mass and whether or not it qualifies as a "water world." If the earth has an atmosphere, it will likely be more prominent and more accessible to find than on a more massive, denser, and drier world, which would probably keep its lower-profile atmosphere closer to the surface.