The new planet found
You're referring to the recent discovery of a new exoplanet!
Yes, in recent years, astronomers have discovered thousands of exoplanets, and the number is still growing. Here are some of the most notable ones:
- K2-18b: In 2019, scientists discovered a potentially habitable exoplanet, K2-18b, orbiting a small, cool star about 111 light-years from Earth. The planet is about twice the size of Earth and orbits its star at a distance that could support liquid water.
- LHS 1140b: In 2017, astronomers discovered a super-Earth exoplanet, LHS 1140b, orbiting a small, cool star about 40 light-years from Earth. The planet is about 1.4 times the size of Earth and orbits its star at a distance that could support liquid water.
- TRAPPIST-1e: In 2017, scientists discovered seven Earth-sized exoplanets orbiting the ultracool dwarf star TRAPPIST-1, about 39 light-years from Earth. Three of these planets, including TRAPPIST-1e, are thought to be potentially habitable.
- Kepler-452b: In 2015, astronomers discovered a exoplanet, Kepler-452b, that is about 60% larger in diameter than Earth and orbits a G-type star (similar to the Sun) about 1,400 light-years from Earth. The planet is considered a "near-Earth" exoplanet and is thought to be a rocky world.
- Proxima b: In 2016, scientists discovered a exoplanet, Proxima b, orbiting Proxima Centauri, the closest star to the Sun, about 4.2 light-years from Earth. The planet is about 1.3 times the size of Earth and orbits its star at a distance that could support liquid water.
These discoveries have significant implications for the search for extraterrestrial life and the possibility of finding a "second Earth" outside our solar system.
Would you like to know more about exoplanets or the methods used to detect them?