To date, leading astronomers from around the world have discovered more than 5,200 exoplanets – planets located outside the solar system. However, less than 200 of them actually remotely resemble the Earth with a solid rocky surface, so the discovery of any exoplanet similar to our home planet is a very important event in the scientific world. Moreover, such events turn out to be many times more significant if the discovered exoplanet can also be potentially habitable, because at the moment, out of 5,200 discoveries, only a little more than a dozen can theoretically become “Earth 2.0”. And just such a planet yesterday, February 3, was discovered by scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy in Germany.
Experts said that a group of 50 astronomers officially confirmed the existence of an extremely rare exoplanet of its kind Wolf 1069 b, which revolves around the red dwarf Wolf 1069. Scientists believe that this cosmic body has a solid rocky surface, the mass of the planet is approximately 1.26 of the mass Earth, and the size of a fresh discovery is almost equal to our home planet – Wolf 1069 b is only 1.08 times larger in diameter. Accordingly, in physical terms, this exoplanet is extremely similar to the Earth, but not only this makes it so interesting for the scientific world. The point is also that Wolf 1069 b is located in the so-called habitable zone of its star.
The researchers note that the planet Wolf 1069 b revolves around its star at a distance that is equivalent to the 15th part of the distance from Earth to the Sun, and the time for a complete revolution around the red dwarf is 15.6 Earth days. Accordingly, scientists suggest that the planet is located in a special zone, which implies adequate temperatures on the surface of the exoplanet for the formation of life on it or the presence of water (including in liquid form). The newly discovered planet should receive about 65% of the light Earth receives, and the surface temperature should be around -22°C. And although many may think that this shatters all hopes for the habitability of the planet, it is not.
Scientists believe that if there is no atmosphere on the planet Wolf 1069 b, then the temperature there really is kept at a fairly low level. Of course, this is not Mercury, where the temperature is ten times lower, but still at -22 ° C, one can hardly hope for life. But if there is still an atmosphere on this planet, then the temperature on its surface should be about 13 ° C, and under such conditions life may well exist, and water in liquid form too. Unfortunately, Wolf 1069 b is 31 light-years from Earth, so current technology can’t accurately determine the presence of an atmosphere, but within space it’s a relatively close neighbor.
Source: Trash Box
I’m Meagan Diaz, a news writer and author at World Stock Market. My main focus is on technology and stock market trends, and I’m passionate about helping readers stay informed on the ever-changing landscape. I bring extensive knowledge of the industry to my work as well as a knack for storytelling that makes my articles both accessible and engaging.
