Potentially Habitable Exoplanet Discovered Just 40 Light Years Away; Rare Exo-Venus World Possesses Earth-Like Temperature

NASA space telescope detected an Earth-size exoplanet, which could be a good place to hunt for extraterrestrial life.

Rare Exo-Venus

Astronomers have made a remarkable discovery of a rare exoplanet, which may be just a little warmer than our world. Their findings are reported in the paper "Gliese 12 b, a temperate Earth-sized planet at 12 parsecs discovered with TESS and CHEOPS."

The potentially habitable planet, named Gliese 12 b, is comparable in size to Venus, so it is slightly smaller than Earth. Every 12.8 days, it orbits its cool red dwarf host star, which is only 40 light years away from us in the constellation Pisces.

It has an estimated surface temperature of 107 degrees Fahrenheit (42 degrees Celsius), which is lower than most of the 5,000 discovered exoplanets so far. This temperature is likely achieved assuming that Gliese 12 b has no atmosphere, which is the next crucial step in establishing its habitability.

The discovery of Gliese 12 b was made by a team of scientists who used observations by NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite. Understanding the features of this rare exo-Venus is very significant since it can help reveal if most of the stars in the Milky Way galaxy can host temperate planets with atmospheres.

Gliese 12 b may have an Earth-like atmosphere, one that resembles Venus, which experienced a runaway greenhouse effect. Another possibility is that this planet may have a different kind of atmosphere that is not observed in our Solar System.

Unlocking the mystery of its atmosphere is crucial because it would reveal if the exoplanet can maintain temperatures suitable for liquid water. It is also the key in unlocking the possibility of life on its surface while answering the question as to why Earth and Venus evolved differently.

Gliese 12 b is certainly not the first exoplanet to have been detected to possess Earth-like characteristics. According to NASA, there are only a few worlds like this that deserve a closer look.

Analysis by scientists from NASA and University of Tokyo suggests that Gliese does not have any sign of extreme behavior like frequent, powerful X-ray flares. This raises hope that the atmosphere of Gliese 12 b may still be intact.

How Are Exoplanets Detected?

Most exoplanets are detected using the transit method. This process is based on the fact that a planet that passes in front of its star from our point of view causes a dip in the brightness of its host star.

During a planetary transit, the light of the star also passes through the atmosphere of an exoplanet, allowing some wavelengths to get absorbed. As different gas molecules absorb different colors, the transit offers a set of chemical fingerprints that can be detected by telescopes like the James Webb Space Telescope.

The closest and most famous exoplanet with Earth-like features is Proxima Centauri B, which is only four light-years away from us. But since it is not a transiting world, we still have to learn more about this world, including its atmosphere and its potential to harbor life.