Potentially Habitable Exoplanet Found 137 Light-Years Away from Earth
TEHRAN (Tasnim) - Scientists have identified a "Super-Earth," an exoplanet located in the habitable zone around a Red Dwarf Star named TOI-715, situated 137 light-years away from Earth.
NASA officially announced the discovery this week, revealing that TOI-715b, 1.5 times the width of Earth, completes an orbit around its star every 19 days within the habitable zone, where conditions might support liquid water on its surface.
The star's habitable zone is a region allowing for the potential formation of liquid water, enhancing the planet's potential habitability.
NASA's statement suggested the possibility of another Earth-sized planet within the same system as TOI-715b.
An international team of scientists, led by Dr. Georgina Dransfield from the University of Birmingham, made the discovery using the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS).
The research emphasized that Red Dwarf Stars, like TOI-715's, are smaller and cooler than the Sun, often hosting rocky planets in their orbits.
TOI-715b's short orbital period, completing a cycle in just 19 days, allows for more frequent observations, facilitating further studies.
The research, published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, also speculated on the potential identification of the smallest habitable zone planet in the system around TOI-715.
