– Scientists have discovered an exoplanet called Gliese 12b orbiting a red dwarf star about 40 light years away.
– Gliese 12b is estimated to be about 27% the size of Earth and falls within the habitable zone of its host star where liquid water could exist on its surface.
– It orbits its star every 12.8 days and has a calculated surface temperature of around 107 degrees Fahrenheit, making it potentially habitable.
– The planet was detected using data from the NASA TESS telescope. Two studies were published in scientific journals describing the discovery.
– Further analysis using the James Webb Space Telescope is planned to analyze the planet’s atmosphere and look for signatures of water or greenhouse gases.
– The proximity and potential habitability of Gliese 12b makes it an important target for future study to understand exoplanet atmospheres and evolution. However, it is too far to be visited by current spacecraft.
Source: CNN
