A newly discovered exoplanet, designated HD 137010 b, is capturing the attention of astronomers due to its Earth-like orbital period and relatively close proximity – though still immensely distant – within our galaxy. Identified initially through observations by citizen scientists, including a high school student, the planetS size falls between that of Earth and Mars, and orbits a star cooler and less shining than our Sun.Further analysis by international teams confirms its intriguing characteristics and adds to the growing catalog of exoplanets being studied for potential habitability and to better understand planetary systems beyond our own.
Astronomers have identified a new Earth-sized planet approximately 146 light-years away with a roughly 50% chance of residing within its star’s habitable zone. The discovery adds to the growing list of potentially habitable worlds beyond our solar system, fueling the search for extraterrestrial life.
The planet’s climate is believed to be similar to that of Mars.
The findings, published this week in the Astrophysical Journal Letters, detail the planet, currently designated HD 137010 b, as a “candidate” planet, meaning further observation is needed to confirm its characteristics.
The initial detection occurred in 2017 using data from NASA’s Kepler space telescope, observing a slight dimming of light as the planet passed in front of its host star. The star itself is similar in characteristics to our Sun.
Researchers estimate the planet has approximately a 50% probability of being located within the habitable zone – the range of orbital distances where liquid water could exist on the planet’s surface.
‘What’s really exciting about this Earth-sized planet is that its star is only [about] 150 light-years from our solar system. The next best planet around a Sun-like star in a habitable zone, [ Kepler-186f ] is about four times further away and 20 times fainter,’ explains Chelsea Huang, a researcher at the University of Southern Queensland in Australia and a co-author of the study.
Huang also noted the planet’s orbital period is remarkably similar to Earth’s, completing one orbit around its star in approximately 355 days, compared to Earth’s 365 days.
HD 137010 b was initially identified through observations of a brief dip in the star’s brightness as the planet transited, or passed in front of, it.
Comparison of the new planet’s size with Earth and Mars. — Photo: NASA/JPL-Caltech/K. Miller (Caltech/IPAC)
The initial detection was made by citizen scientists, including a high school student, and subsequently analyzed by teams of astronomers worldwide.
‘Sun’ Less Bright and Colder
The star that HD 137010 b orbits is cooler and less bright than our Sun, resulting in a surface temperature on the planet potentially similar to that of Mars, and likely below -70°C.
In an analysis for The Guardian, astrophysicist Sara Webb of Swinburne University, who was not involved in the study, called the discovery “exciting.”
She pointed out that while the planet “is very close in the grand scheme of our galaxy, if we were to try and get there, it would take tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of years traveling at current speeds.”
