they think they can live here
NASA announced the discovery exoplanet is in 40 light years from our planetwhich completes its revolution in just 12.8 days and may be suitable for life.
This exoplanet, called Gliese 12 b, is a “super-Earth” with comparable in size to the Earth or slightly less, according to the press release POT. Exoplanets are celestial bodies located outside our solar system.
Masayuki Kuzuhara, associate professor of the project at the Tokyo Astrobiology Center, commented: “To date, we have identified the closest temperate world in transit to Earth. Although we have not yet determined whether it has an atmosphere, we consider it an exo-Venus due to its size and the energy it receives from its star, similar to our planetary neighbor in the solar system.
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Estimated Gliese 12 b can have two completely different types of atmosphere. One of them will be similar to Earth and consist of oxygen, nitrogen and other elements that promote life. Another, however, might be similar to Venus, which would imply extremely high temperatures.
“It is believed that the early atmospheres of Earth and Venus were cleared and then replenished by volcanic degassing and bombardment of residual material in the solar system,” explained Larissa Palthorpe, study co-author and student at the University of Edinburgh and University of Edinburgh, College London.
Exoplanet: here’s what we know so far
- Gliese 12 b is an exoplanet located 40 light-years from Earth and orbits every 12.8 days.
- The exoplanet Gliese 12 b is comparable in size to Earth or slightly smaller.
- Gliese 12 b orbits a red dwarf star known as Gliese 12, which is about 27% the size of the Sun and has a surface temperature of 60%.
- Without an atmosphere, NASA astronomers estimate that Gliese 12 b’s surface temperature would be about 107 degrees Fahrenheit (42 degrees Celsius).
- Gliese 12 b may have an atmosphere similar to Earth’s, favorable for life, or an atmosphere similar to that of Venus, resulting in extremely high temperatures.
Gliese b, between Earth and Venus.
“The Earth is suitable for life, but Venus is not due to the complete loss of water. Because Gliese 12 b’s temperature lies between Earth and Venus, its atmosphere can teach us a lot about the habitability paths planets take as they evolve,” Palthorpe added.
Gliese 12 b orbits a red dwarf star known as Gliese 12, NASA says. The size of this star is only 27% of the size of the Sun, and its surface temperature is approximately 60% of the Sun.
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NASA astronomers, assuming the planet has no atmosphere, estimate that Gliese 12 b’s surface temperature is about 107 degrees Fahrenheit (42 degrees Celsius).