Scientists have discovered a new Earth-sized planet only 40 light-years away which could potentially support human – or alien – life.
The planet, named Gliese 12 b, was spotted by astronomers at the University of Warwick, who made the exciting discovery using Nasa satellites.
With an estimated surface temperature of around 42C, experts say it is one of the few known rocky planets where humans could theoretically survive – if we could actually get there.
Scientists are still unsure of what the atmosphere of Gliese 12 b looks like – if it even has one – but say it is a similar size to Venus and orbits its version of the Sun every 12.8 days.
Good for birthdays, bad for ageing.
In a report published today, the team, from universities in the UK and US, described Gliese 12 b as ‘the nearest transiting temperate, Earth-sized planet found to date’.
It could mean astronomers may be one step closer to proving once and for all that aliens are out there.
The temperature of the planet is similar to the those experienced by Brits during the sizzling 2022 heatwave.
Warwick’s Professor Thomas Wilson, a physicist, was involved in the discovery, using data from Nasa’s satellites.
He confirmed the planet’s existence and characteristics like its size, temperature, and distance away from Earth.
Professor Wilson said: ‘This is a really exciting discovery and will help our research into planets similar to Earth across our Galaxy.
“Thrillingly, this planet is the closest Earth-sized and temperature planet we know.
‘The light we are seeing now is from 1984 – that’s how long it has taken to reach us here on Earth.
‘Planets like Gliese 12 b are very few and far between, so for us to be able to examine one this closely and learn about its atmosphere and temperature is very rare.’
The scientists are part of an international team who have worked with Nasa to discover the planet using the agency’s TESS (Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite).
They found the planet’s equivalent of the Sun, called Gliese 12, is a cool red dwarf located in the Pisces constellation.
The star is only about 27% the size of the Sun, with about 60% of the Sun’s surface temperature.
And the distance separating Gliese 12 and the new planet is just 7% of the distance between Earth and the Sun.
The planet receives 1.6 times more energy from its star than Earth does from the Sun.
Scientists say another important factor in retaining an atmosphere – a prerequisite for their habitability – is the ‘storminess’ of its star.
Red dwarfs tend to be magnetically active, resulting in frequent, powerful X-ray flares.
However, analyses by scientists conclude that Gliese 12 shows no signs of extreme behavior.
The planet was first spotted back in August 2021, but scientists have only recently uncovered enough evidence to confirm its existence.
The study is published in the journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.
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