sScientists have discovered a new planet that may be capable of supporting human life, according to a new study.
The study, published in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society on Thursday, it named the new planet Gliese 12 b. Scientists said in the study that the planet is “the closest Earth-sized transiting temperate planet found to date.”
The international team of scientists discovered the planet using NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS). Scientists say it is one of the few rocky planets discovered that has the potential for human survival, but the planet is 40 light years away.
Gliese 12 b is only slightly smaller than Earth. It is an “exoplanet”, which means it is a planet outside our solar system. The planet orbits a small, cool red dwarf star. The planet also has some similarities to Venus, which is often nicknamed “Twins” of Earth due to the similarities they share.
A year on Gliese 12 b is equivalent to just 12.8 Earth days because the planet orbits its star very closely. The planet receives about 1.6 times more energy from its star than Earth receives from the Sun, scientists said.
The planet has an estimated average surface temperature just 50°F warmer than Earth.
“It’s exciting that this planet is the closest planet to Earth’s size and temperature that we know of,” said Thomas Wilson, one of the study’s authors. BBC. “Planets like Gliese 12 b are very few and far between, so it is very rare for us to be able to examine one so closely and learn about its atmosphere and temperature.”
To find out whether Gliese 12 b could support human life, scientists will have to determine whether it has an Earth-like atmosphere – one that could have water on its surface, as this is essential for a planet to be habitable. But scientists said they’re still not sure what kind of atmosphere it has — if any at all. Scientists said the planet was a good candidate for additional atmospheric studies.
This story originally appeared on Time.com read the full story
