A team of astronomers has identified a new exoplanet that may be capable of supporting life, located a mere 18 light-years from Earth. Named GJ 251 c, this rocky planet orbits a red dwarf star within the star”s habitable zone, a region where conditions could allow for liquid water to exist.
The discovery was made by researchers from the University of California Irvine, who utilized the Habitable Zone Planet Finder (HPF) instrument on the Hobby-Eberly Telescope at the McDonald Observatory in Texas. They also confirmed their findings with the NEID spectrometer at the Kitt Peak National Observatory in Arizona.
GJ 251 c is significantly larger than Earth, possessing a mass approximately four times greater, categorizing it as a super-Earth. The planet completes an orbit around its star every 54 days. While it is located in the habitable zone, further research is needed to determine if the planet can actually support liquid water and, by extension, life.
Co-author Paul Robertson noted, “We have found so many exoplanets at this point that discovering a new one is not such a big deal. What makes this especially valuable is that its host star is close by, at just about 18 light-years away. Cosmically speaking, it”s practically next door.”
The researchers employed the radial velocity method to identify GJ 251 c, detecting the gravitational influence of the planet on its star, which results in a measurable “wobble.” Despite the significance of the discovery, lead author Corey Beard emphasized that uncertainties remain regarding the planet”s conditions. “We are at the cutting edge of technology and analysis methods with this system. While its discovery is quite statistically significant, we are still determining the status of the planet,” he stated.
Co-author Suvrath Mahadevan from Pennsylvania State University expressed optimism about the potential for discovering life elsewhere, stating, “We look for these types of planets because they are our best chance at finding life outside our solar system.” He elaborated that GJ 251 c lies within the “Goldilocks Zone,” suggesting it is at the right distance from its star for liquid water to exist, provided it has an appropriate atmosphere.
The findings were published in The Astronomical Journal, highlighting GJ 251 as a prime target for upcoming direct imaging missions with next-generation telescopes. The researchers suggest that climate simulations indicate GJ 251 c may have a temperate surface, and they identified spectral features that future telescopes could detect, potentially revealing signs of life.
