NASA discovers potentially habitable 'super-Earth' 137 Light-Years Away

06 Feb,2024

News Excerpt:

In a groundbreaking discovery, scientists at NASA have found a 'super-Earth,' a planet that could potentially support life.

TOI-715 b was discovered by NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), launched in 2018 to search for planets around nearby stars.
TESS detects planets by measuring the tiny dips in starlight when they pass in front of their stars, called transits.
TOI-715 b transits its star once every 19 days, making it easier to observe and confirm than planets with longer orbits.
TESS also found a possible second planet in the same system, TOI-715 c, which is slightly larger than Earth and transits once every 10 days.

About the newly discovered ‘Super-Earth’ planet TOI-715 b:

This planet, called TOI-715 b, is 137 light-years away from Earth.
It is about one and a half times as wide as Earth and completes a full orbit around its star in 19 days.
Its parent star is a red dwarf, smaller and colder than the Sun, allowing the planet to cram closer while remaining safely inside the star's habitable zone.
TOI-715 b is potentially habitable because it orbits within its star's “conservative” habitable zone, which is the range of distances where the planet could have a surface temperature that allows liquid water to exist.
- But the conservative habitable zone – a narrower and potentially more robust definition than the broader ‘optimistic’ habitable zone – puts it in prime position, at least by the rough measurements made so far.

Other parameters needed to sustain life on any super-Earth:

Liquid water is considered a key ingredient for life and is also a source of oxygen and other molecules that could support life.
However, being in the habitable zone does not guarantee that the planet has water or life, as other factors, such as the planet’s mass, atmosphere, and history, also play a role.
For example, if the planet is too massive, it could have a crushing gravity that prevents water from escaping into space.
If the planet has no atmosphere, it could have a harsh surface environment that prevents water from staying liquid.
If the planet has a history of volcanic activity, it could have a toxic atmosphere that prevents life from evolving.
NASA plans to study TOI-715 b further with the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) launched in January 2024.

JWST is a powerful infrared telescope that can observe the atmospheres of the exoplanets and detect the presence of water, carbon dioxide, methane, and other molecules that could indicate life.

JWST will also be able to measure the mass and radius of the planet, which will help determine its density and composition.

About Super-Earth:

A super-Earth is a planet that is larger than Earth but smaller than Neptune, the smallest gas giant in our solar system.
Super-Earths are thought to be very common in the galaxy, but their nature and diversity are still poorly understood.
Some super-Earths may be rocky worlds with thin atmospheres, like Earth, while others may be ocean worlds with thick atmospheres, like Neptune.
Some may even have rings or moons, like Saturn.
The mass and composition of a super-Earth determine its surface gravity, temperature, and potential for life.

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