A New World of Potential: Scientists Discover Earth-Sized Planet 146 Light-Years Away, but Surface Temperature May Be Below -70C.
In a breakthrough that has sent shockwaves through the scientific community, an international team of researchers has discovered a potentially habitable new planet, HD 137010 b, located 146 light-years away from our solar system. The exoplanet, which is estimated to be 6% larger than Earth, orbits a sun-like star and may have conditions similar to those on Mars.
The discovery was made using data captured by the NASA Kepler space telescope's extended mission, K2, in 2017. Initially detected by citizen scientists as part of a project called Planet Hunters, the planet was later confirmed by an international team of researchers at the University of Southern Queensland (USQ) and other institutions.
According to Dr Chelsea Huang, one of the co-authors of the research, the planet has an orbit similar to Earth's, lasting approximately 355 days. The researchers believe that HD 137010 b may reside in the habitable zone of its star, where temperatures are suitable for liquid water to exist.
However, despite the promising discovery, scientists caution that the surface temperature of the planet could be as low as -70C, making it inhospitable to life as we know it. Dr Sara Webb, an astrophysicist at Swinburne University who was not involved in the research, noted that while the discovery is "very exciting," more results are needed to confirm the classification of the planet as a confirmed exoplanet.
The team's findings raise questions about the potential for life on other planets and highlight the importance of continued exploration and research into the habitability of exoplanets. With its proximity to Earth, HD 137010 b offers a tantalizing target for future telescopic observations, potentially paving the way for a groundbreaking discovery in the years to come.
The study, published in Astrophysical Journal Letters, marks an exciting milestone in the search for life beyond our solar system and underscores the significance of collaborative research initiatives like Planet Hunters. As scientists continue to probe the mysteries of HD 137010 b, they may uncover secrets about the universe that will redefine our understanding of the cosmos.
In a breakthrough that has sent shockwaves through the scientific community, an international team of researchers has discovered a potentially habitable new planet, HD 137010 b, located 146 light-years away from our solar system. The exoplanet, which is estimated to be 6% larger than Earth, orbits a sun-like star and may have conditions similar to those on Mars.
The discovery was made using data captured by the NASA Kepler space telescope's extended mission, K2, in 2017. Initially detected by citizen scientists as part of a project called Planet Hunters, the planet was later confirmed by an international team of researchers at the University of Southern Queensland (USQ) and other institutions.
According to Dr Chelsea Huang, one of the co-authors of the research, the planet has an orbit similar to Earth's, lasting approximately 355 days. The researchers believe that HD 137010 b may reside in the habitable zone of its star, where temperatures are suitable for liquid water to exist.
However, despite the promising discovery, scientists caution that the surface temperature of the planet could be as low as -70C, making it inhospitable to life as we know it. Dr Sara Webb, an astrophysicist at Swinburne University who was not involved in the research, noted that while the discovery is "very exciting," more results are needed to confirm the classification of the planet as a confirmed exoplanet.
The team's findings raise questions about the potential for life on other planets and highlight the importance of continued exploration and research into the habitability of exoplanets. With its proximity to Earth, HD 137010 b offers a tantalizing target for future telescopic observations, potentially paving the way for a groundbreaking discovery in the years to come.
The study, published in Astrophysical Journal Letters, marks an exciting milestone in the search for life beyond our solar system and underscores the significance of collaborative research initiatives like Planet Hunters. As scientists continue to probe the mysteries of HD 137010 b, they may uncover secrets about the universe that will redefine our understanding of the cosmos.
OMG, can you believe it?! There's this new planet that's basically Earth-sized and it's only 146 light-years away from us... 
I mean, imagine being able to visit a new planet in like, a few years! 
But, sadly, the surface temperature is like, -70C 
which means it's way too cold for life as we know it. I guess scientists are saying that maybe it could have liquid water and stuff, but who knows if there's anyone (or anything?) living down there? 
It's still pretty cool that they found this planet and all, but I'm not holding my breath for any alien encounters anytime soon 
.
i mean its literally a new world just waiting for us to explore and learn more about it's surface temp is crazy though, like -70c tho?! no wonder scientists are all like "hold on, let's do some more research" 
and i'm so down for this continued exploration and research, who knows what other secrets we'll uncover? 
. Surface temperature of -70C? That's basically a frozen wasteland 
. What's the point of even searching for life elsewhere if we can't even survive in our own backyard? I mean, have you seen the state of our planet lately? We're lucky to have a habitable zone on Earth, let alone some other planet that might or might not be able to support life.
. This just seems like more hype to me 
.
. the temp tho, like -70c? that's straight-up freezing 
. seriously though, scientists are super stoked about this find and i can't blame 'em 
. who knows what kinda secrets we'll uncover with this new planet 
It's also noteworthy that the study's findings raise more questions than answers, underscoring the need for further research to confirm the planet's classification.
this is soooo cool 
we got a new planet on the block 
and it's like, right next door compared to us 
146 light-years away 
surface temp of -70C 
not exactly the most hospitable spot for life as we know it 
but hey scientists are all about finding answers 
and maybe one day we'll find a way to make this place habitable 
or something 
also, can we just imagine having to pack up our winter coats for a trip to this planet lol -70c? 
, ill be surprised if anyone can survive that. but hey at least its a new lead in the search for life and who knows maybe future tech will allow us to send some probes or even humans there one day 
but seriously can you imagine the cool pics we'd get from orbiting that place ?? and btw didn't they just release a new season of that one show on netflix last month?
. Can't wait to see what secrets we uncover about this planet. The search for life beyond our solar system is so cool... and a little scary 