A research team has discovered an exoplanet about the size of Earth 40 light years away, the surface of which may be only slightly warmer than Earth. This is reported by the Royal Astronomical Society, but it adds that the determined surface temperature of 42 °C is only reached if there is no atmosphere there. A gas envelope would significantly increase the temperatures on the surface of the celestial body orbiting closely around its star, which is why the team expects at best an exoplanet similar to Venus – and not a second Earth. Nevertheless, it is a “tantalizing” discovery. Gliese 12 b is one of the best objects for researching how Earth-sized planets around cool stars can retain their atmosphere.
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No living conditions
The team determined the so-called equilibrium temperature based on observation data from the TESS and Cheops space telescopes. Accordingly, so much radiation from its red dwarf star arrives on the exoplanet that it would heat its surface to 42 °C. For comparison: Earth has an average surface temperature of 15 °C, which is why water can be liquid here and has enabled the development of life. However, this pleasant temperature is ensured by the atmosphere, without which the equilibrium temperature on our home planet would settle at -18 °C. The research team led by Shishir Dholakia is now looking for evidence of a gas envelope.
The physicist involved in the discovery Larissa Palethorpe added, it is assumed that both Venus and Earth lost their original atmospheres before a new gas shell was created through volcanic activity, among other things. In terms of equilibrium temperature, Gliese 12 b lies exactly between the two planets and could therefore tell us a lot about how planets develop and develop conditions conducive to life. The team wants to continue researching the exoplanet, but at the same time would like to see more similar examples. Your research work They have now been published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.
(mho)