- Astronomers discovered HD 137010 b, a new planet about 146 light-years away
- The planet is 6% larger than Earth and orbits a sun-like star with a 355-day period
- It has about a 50% chance of being in its star's habitable zone, similar to Mars
Astronomers have found a new planet that could possibly support life. The planet is about 146 light-years away, roughly the size of Earth, and has conditions similar to Mars. The newly discovered planet is called HD 137010 b. It orbits a sun-like star and is about 6% larger than Earth, reported the Guardian.
An international team of scientists from Australia, the UK, the US, and Denmark discovered the planet using data obtained in 2017 from NASA's Kepler Space Telescope's extended mission, K2.
Dr. Chelsea Huang, a researcher at the University of Southern Queensland in Australia, explained that the planet has an Earth-like orbit and an orbital period of about 355 days.
Researchers estimate that the planet has about a 50% chance of being in its star's Hoble zone. Huang said that this planet is special because its star is only about 150 light-years from our solar system. She explained that the next best planet near a sun-like star in the Hoble zone is Kepler-186f, which is four times farther away and 20 times less luminous.
HD 137010 b was observed when it briefly passed in front of its star, causing a very slight dimming of its brightness. This faint signal was first detected by a team of citizen scientists, including the study's lead author, Dr. Alexander Weiner, when he was still in high school.
Weiner said that he had contributed to a citizen science project called Planet Hunters while in secondary school, and that this was a major driver of his research. He said that returning to this work and helping with such an important discovery was a tremendous experience.
The team's first reaction to the discovery was that it couldn't be possible, Huang said. He explained that they double-checked everything and found it to be a classic example of a planetary transit.
Huang also said that due to the star's brightness and proximity, the planet could be visible with next-generation telescopes. He said that when the technology becomes available, it will be the first target to be observed.
HD 137010 b's star is cooler and less luminous than our Sun, meaning the planet's surface temperature is similar to Mars', potentially even below -70°C.
The research was published this week in the Astrophysical Journal Letters.
