A planet discovered near our own solar system could help find life elsewhere in the universe, scientists said Thursday.
The exoplanet ‘Super-Earth’ with a surface temperature slightly colder than Venus offers a privileged opportunity to study the atmosphere of an alien world similar to rocky earth, as scientists look for clues that may one day lead to discovery of extraterrestrial life.
How could the planet offer clues to extraterrestrial life?
Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy in Germany said the planet (Gliese 486 b) is not a promising candidate as a refuge for life, as it is hot and dry, with possible lava rivers flowing. by its surface.
But its proximity to Earth and its physical features make it ideal for a study of its atmosphere with the next generation of terrestrial and terrestrial telescopes. NASA will launch the James Webb Space Telescope later this year.
Scientists could extract data to be able to decipher the atmospheres of other exoplanets (planets beyond our solar system), including those that can harbor life.
“The exoplanet must have the right physical and orbital configuration to be suitable for atmospheric research,” said planetary scientist Trifon Trifonov, lead author of the research published in the journal Science.
What is a “Super-Earth”?
A “Super-Earth” is an exoplanet with a mass higher than our planet but considerably lower than the ice giants of our solar system Uranus and Neptune.
The mass of Gliese 486 b is 2.8 times that of Earth and is in our celestial quarter, about 26.3 light-years away, making it one of the closest exoplanets.
“Gliese 486 b cannot be habitable, at least not as we know it here on Earth,” Trifonov said. “The planet only has a faint atmosphere, if any.”
‘Rosetta Stone of Exoplanetology’
However, the study’s astrophysicist and co-author, Jose Caballero, was excited: “We say that Gliese 486 b will instantly become the Rosetta Stone of exoplanetology, at least for Earth-like planets.” , he said in reference to the ancient stone slab that helped experts decipher Egyptian hieroglyphics.
Scientists have discovered more than 4,300 exoplanets. Some have been large gas planets, similar to Jupiter, while others have been smaller, Earth-like rocky worlds of the type considered candidates for the prosperity of life.
you / rt (AFP, Reuters)