Gliese 12b orbits a red dwarf star 40 light years from the solar system.
The planet, called Gliese 12b, orbits a red dwarf star in the constellation Pisces that is about 27% the size of our sun and about 60% the temperature, according to two reports published in the journals The Astrophysical Journal Letters and Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society .
Because its star is relatively small compared to the sun, Gliese 12b is still within the distance that allows liquid water to exist on its surface despite its orbital period of just 12.8 days. In other words, Gliese 12b could be a potentially habitable planet.
Scientists calculate the planet's surface temperature to be about 42 degrees Celsius.
"We found an Earth-sized world at the closest distance to us to date and with mild temperatures," said professor Masayuki Kuzuhara of the Astrobiology Center in Tokyo, Japan, and co-author of one of the two reports.
Once temperate planets are discovered, scientists can analyze the object to determine the elements inside the atmosphere, and most importantly, whether water is present on the planet to allow life to exist.
"There are only a few exoplanets that are good candidates for liquid water. And Gliese 12b is the closest one, so it's a really important discovery," CNN quoted the second co-author of the report, Larissa Palethorpe, a PhD student at the University of Edinburgh and University College London (UK).
Scientists used published data from the TESS telescope project of the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
In the next phase of analysis, the team hopes to use the James Webb Space Telescope to conduct spectroscopy to determine the composition of the planet's atmosphere.
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/phat-hien-hanh-tinh-co-nhet-do-tuong-tu-trai-dat-185240526092352986.htm
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