Scientists have recently made a groundbreaking discovery of a new planet that may have the potential to support human life, according to a study published in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. This new planet, named Gliese 12 b, is considered to be the nearest, transiting temperate, Earth-sized planet discovered so far. The international team of scientists responsible for this discovery utilized NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) to locate the planet, which is located 40 light years away.
Gliese 12 b orbits a red dwarf star that is small and cool, much like Venus, which is often referred to as Earth’s “twin” due to the similarities they share. A year on Gliese 12 b lasts only 12.8 days on Earth due to its close proximity to its star from which it receives 1.6 times more energy than Earth receives from the sun. While the average estimated surface temperature of Gliese 12 b is only 50°F warmer than Earth’s, scientists are still uncertain about the planet’s atmosphere and potential to support human life.
The next step for scientists is to determine if the planet has an Earth-like atmosphere that could contain water on its surface, a key ingredient for a planet to be habitable. Despite the uncertainties surrounding Gliese 12 b’s atmosphere, scientists are eager to conduct further studies and investigate its potential for human habitation. If proven habitable, this newfound exoplanet could open up exciting possibilities for future space exploration and colonization efforts beyond our own solar system.
