In a discovery that could significantly impact our understanding of life in the universe, astronomers have identified a potentially habitable exoplanet – a planet outside our solar system – located just 40 light years from Earth. This newfound exoplanet, called Gliese 12 b, is similar in size to Earth and orbits within the star system’s habitable zone, where liquid water could exist on the planet’s surface. Continue reading below to learn more about this potentially habitable planet and why its discovery marks a significant milestone in humanity’s quest to explore and understand life beyond Earth.
What is Gliese 12 b?
Gliese 12 b is a super-Earth exoplanet, meaning it’s nearly the same size as Earth or slightly smaller, orbiting a red dwarf star called Gliese 12. It is located 40 light-years from Earth and orbits 12.8 days around its star, much closer than Earth’s orbit around the Sun. Its temperature is estimated to be around 107 degrees Fahrenheit (42 degrees Celsius) without an atmosphere.
While not confirmed yet, it is potentially habitable because it’s within its star system’s habitable zone, where liquid water could exist. Scientists are particularly interested in Gliese 12 b because it offers a good opportunity to study the atmospheres of Earth-sized planets orbiting cool stars. Its discovery could help scientists understand the possibility of life on other planets.
“We’ve found the nearest, transiting, temperate, Earth-size world located to date,” Masayuki Kuzuhara, a project assistant professor at the Astrobiology Center in Tokyo, said in a statement. “Although we don’t yet know whether it possesses an atmosphere, we’ve been thinking of it as an exo-Venus, with similar size and energy received from its star as our planetary neighbor in the solar system.”
What is Gliese 12?
Gliese 12, the star that Gliese 12 b orbits, is a red dwarf star, a type of star much smaller and cooler than Earth’s Sun. Here are some key details about Gliese 12:
- Size: Only about 27% the size of the Sun.
- Temperature: About 60% of the Sun’s surface temperature.
- Distance: 40 light-years away (also the distance to Gliese 12 b).
Red dwarf stars are interesting for finding Earth-like planets because their smaller size allows for easier detection of orbiting planets. Additionally, the lower luminosity (brightness) of red dwarfs makes it easier to determine if a planet in its habitable zone might have liquid water on its surface.
“A smaller star means greater dimming for each transit, and a lower mass means an orbiting planet can produce a greater wobble, known as ‘reflex motion,’ of the star,” NASA said in a statement. “These effects make smaller planets easier to detect.”
NASA added, “lower luminosities of red dwarf stars also make it easier to determine if the planets that orbit them are habitable and have liquid water on their surfaces”.
What’s the significance of Gliese 12b’s discovery?
Currently, there are few Earth-sized temperate planets close enough for detailed atmospheric studies. Gliese 12 b provides another valuable target for astronomers to learn more about the diversity of exoplanets and the possibility of life beyond Earth.
“Gliese 12 b represents one of the best targets to study whether Earth-size planets orbiting cool stars can retain their atmospheres, a crucial step to advance our understanding of habitability on planets across our galaxy,” Shishir Dholakia, a doctoral student at the Centre for Astrophysics at the University of Southern Queensland in Australia, said in a statement.
According to NASA, scientists plan to study Gliese 12 b and other similar planets because they could help “unlock some aspects” of our solar system’s evolution.
“We know of only a handful of temperate planets similar to Earth that are both close enough to us and meet other criteria needed for this kind of study, called transmission spectroscopy, using current facilities,” Michael McElwain, a research astrophysicist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, said in a statement. “To better understand the diversity of atmospheres and evolutionary outcomes for these planets, we need more examples like Gliese 12 b.”