Astronomers Detect Potential Exoplanet in Habitable Zone Close to Earth

Researchers have announced evidence of an exoplanet orbiting within the so-called “habitable zone” in a triple star system. If confirmed, this could be the closest planet to our Solar System with conditions favorable for the presence of liquid water on its surface.

The candidate planet was identified in the Alpha Centauri system — which includes the stars Alpha Centauri A, Alpha Centauri B, and the red dwarf Proxima Centauri — located just about 4 light-years away.

The observation was made using NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope with the Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI). The findings, published in two articles in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, show signs of a celestial body orbiting Alpha Centauri A in a region where temperatures would allow liquid water to exist.

Although promising, scientists emphasize that the planet is likely not rocky and may not support life as we know it. The evidence suggests it is a gas giant, with size and mass similar to Saturn.

So far, Proxima Centauri has three confirmed planets, but this is the first indication that the other stars in the system might also have their own worlds.

According to Charles Beichman, director of NASA’s Exoplanet Science Institute at Caltech and a researcher at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), the system’s proximity makes observations more feasible:

“Although the work is quite challenging, studying a planet so close to its star is easier when the system is this close to Earth.”

He also added that studying other Sun-like stars, such as Tau Ceti, about 12 light-years away, will be much more difficult — even with the advanced technology of the Webb telescope.

About The Author