Discover a potentially habitable exoplanet

In the face of many discussions about the presence or absence of life on other planets, studies and research are being conducted. In this sense, although there is no evidence of extraterrestrial life, there have been many developments regarding the discovery of planets capable of harboring life. Therefore, the next da recently discovered exoplanet, is a case in point.

see also: Three times larger than Jupiter, the discovered planet is the new space giant

Life on other planets

The debate about the existence of life on other planets – or not – is very common. However, to date, no planet with life has been found. On the other hand, studies have already shown that 3 out of 4 stars can harbor life in extreme conditions. In addition, it is estimated that in the Milky Way, the galaxy in which the Solar System is located, there are approximately 3 billion habitable planets.

According to the European Southern Observatory in Chile, an exoplanet has been identified with conditions that harbor life. It is a planet that is not part of the solar system, but gravitates around another star. In this sense, astronomers estimate that there are trillions of planets outside the solar system.

Discover a new exoplanet

To harbor life, a planet would have to be in the star’s habitable zone, that is, where liquid water collects on the surface of a rocky planet. This exoplanet specifically named Proxima is found in the habitable zone of the star Centauri. This star is smaller and cooler than the Sun, which makes it part of the “red dwarf” category.

The exoplanet takes about five days to complete its orbit and has a quarter of the mass of Earth, making it the lightest exoplanet found so far. In addition, it has a density of less than 0.1 g/cm³ and is located four light years from Centaurus. Prior to this, two other exoplanets were discovered orbiting Centauri: Proxima b and Proxima c.