NASA has discovered a nearby “super-Earth” exoplanet located a mere 137 light-years from Earth. Now, astronomers are working to see if the conditions on the planet are able to sustain life.
The news of planet TOI-715 b’s discovery was shared in a press release last week, as astronomers offered more on the possible life-harboring world.
NASA shared that the planet is about one and a half times as wide as Earth and orbits in the “habitable zone” around its parent star.
The habitable zone is defined as the distance from the star that could give the planet the right temperature for liquid water to form on its surface.
However, other factors are also at play in a planet being deemed “habitable,” as astronomers noted that it also needs a suitable atmosphere, though TOI-715 b is in a “prime position.”
The star the planet orbits is a red dwarf that is smaller and cooler than the Earth’s sun, allowing for it to “crowd closer” and have a tighter orbit, NASA shared in its press release.
The orbit is so tight that a year for the planet is equal to 19 Earth days, which made it easier for astronomers to detect.
TOI-715 b was discovered thanks to the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), which was launched by NASA in 2018 for the purpose of discovering exoplanets.
After the exoplanets are discovered to be in their habitable zones, the James Webb Space Telescope is then used to further observe them.