Astronomers discover a potentially habitable planet, but there’s a problem: the freezing temperatures make it uninhabitable
Scientists say the distant planet checks several boxes for habitability, except for one major issue.
Astronomers have identified a potentially habitable, Earth-size planet located about 146 light-years from our solar system, according to a new study published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters. The planet, known as HD 137010 b, is roughly comparable in size to Earth and shows some similarities to Mars.
An Earth-size planet around a sunlike star
The newly discovered world orbits a star similar to the sun and is estimated to be about 6 percent larger than Earth. The finding comes from an international team of scientists from Australia, the United Kingdom, the United States and Denmark, using data collected in 2017 by NASA’s Kepler Space Telescope during its K2 mission.
HD 137010 b has drawn attention because of its orbital characteristics. According to researcher Chelsea Huang of the University of Southern Queensland, the planet completes one orbit around its star in approximately 355 days, nearly identical to a year on Earth.
Based on current models, scientists estimate there is roughly a 50 percent chance that the planet lies within its star’s so-called habitable zone, the region where liquid water could theoretically exist on the surface.
Scientists urge caution despite the excitement
Despite the initial buzz, experts warn that the planet’s prospects for hosting life are far from certain. The star it orbits is cooler and less luminous than the sun, which would likely result in surface temperatures comparable to those on Mars.
Researchers estimate temperatures could drop below minus 94 degrees Fahrenheit, far colder than conditions considered favorable for life as we know it.
Astrophysicist Sara Webb emphasized another major limitation: astronomers have observed only a single transit, meaning the planet has been seen passing in front of its star just once. Typically, at least three confirmed transits are needed to confidently verify an exoplanet.
Webb also cautioned that HD 137010 b could turn out to be what scientists call a “super snowball,” a large, frozen world where most of the water is locked away as ice and effectively unreachable with today’s technology.
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