Earth 2.0? Scientists discover a new 惑星 40 light-years away that could support human life

By Nikki Main Science Reporter For Dailymail.Com

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航空宇宙局 has discovered an Earth-like 惑星 40 light years away that could be a 約束ing 候補者 to host human life.

The exoplanet, called Gliese 12 b, is わずかに smaller than our 惑星 and has an 概算の surface 気温 of 107 degrees Fahrenheit - assuming it doesn't have an atmosphere.

Gliese 12 b sits just inward of the habitable zone - the distance from a 星／主役にする at which liquid water could 存在する on 軌道ing 惑星s' surfaces.

天文学者s now 計画（する） to 分析する Gliese 12 b to 決定する if it does have an Earth-like atmosphere which could 明らかにする／漏らす if the exoplanet can 持続する the 権利 気温 for water to form on its surface - an 必須の 構内／化合物 to supporting life.?

Gliese 12 b has been labeled as the 'nearest, 輸送ing, temperate, Earth-size world to date,' and is a 候補者 for 未来 探検 by 航空宇宙局's $9.5 billion James Webb Space Telescope.

An international team of astronomers discovered Gliese 12 b, an exoplanet that is located 40 light years from Earth and has a surface temperature of 107 degrees Fahrenheit. Pictured: Image of Gliese 12 b's location in 1998 (left) and 1949 (right)

An international team of 天文学者s discovered Gliese 12 b, an exoplanet that is 位置を示すd 40 light years from Earth and has a surface 気温 of 107 degrees Fahrenheit. Pictured: Image of Gliese 12 b's 場所 in 1998 (left) and 1949 (権利)

An international team of 天文学者s used 航空宇宙局's TESS (輸送ing Exoplanet 調査する 衛星) to 狭くする 負かす／撃墜する Gliese 12 b's 場所.

These 発見s are 一般的に made using the '輸送 method' - when the 惑星 crosses in 前線 of its 星／主役にする, 原因（となる）ing a 減少（する） in its brightness.?

During the exoplanet's 輸送, light from the 星／主役にする passes through it's atmosphere, 吸収するing some of the wavelengths which 解放（する）s gas 分子s that telescopes, like the James Webb can （悪事，秘密などを）発見する.?

The team 設立する that Gliese 12 b has a much tighter 軌道 than Earth, meaning it crosses its 冷静な／正味の red dwarf 星／主役にする, called Gliese 12, more often and 完全にするs one 軌道 every 12.8 days.?

'Gliese 12 b 代表するs one of the best 的s to 熟考する／考慮する whether Earth-size 惑星s 軌道ing 冷静な／正味の 星／主役にするs can 保持する their atmospheres, a 決定的な step to 前進する our understanding of habitability on 惑星s across our 星雲,' said Shishir Dholakia, a doctoral student at the Centre for Astrophysics at the University of Southern Queensland in Australia.

The exoplanet's distance from its dwarf 星／主役にする is only seven パーセント of the distance between the earth and the sun, 供給するing it with 1.6 times more energy.?

However, Gliese 12 b's habitable 条件s depend on whether it has the same type of atmosphere as Earth, making its 気温 closer to the 普通の／平均（する） of 59 degrees Fahrenheit 設立する on our 惑星.

Astronomers have discovered roughly 5,000 exoplanets, but estimate there are likely over a trillion in the Milky Way alone. Pictured: location of Gliese 12 b

天文学者s have discovered 概略で 5,000 exoplanets, but 見積（る） there are likely over a 一兆 in the 乳の Way alone. Pictured: 場所 of Gliese 12 b

'Atmospheres 罠（にかける） heat and - depending on the type - can change the actual surface 気温 大幅に,' Dholakia explained.?

'We are 引用するing the 惑星's 'equilibrium 気温', which is the 気温 the 惑星 would be if it had no atmosphere.?

The team compared Gliese 12 b to Venus, 報告（する）／憶測ing that it is 概略で the same size and receives わずかに いっそう少なく energy from its 星／主役にする - about 85 パーセント.

But because Venus doesn't have an atmosphere to 封鎖する the sun's harmful rays, it developed a 温室 影響, reaching 気温s of 752 degrees Fahrenheit.?

'The Earth is habitable, but Venus is not 予定 to its 完全にする loss of water,' said?Larissa Palethorpe, a doctoral student at the University of Edinburgh and University College London.?

'Because Gliese 12 b is between Earth and Venus in 気温, its atmosphere could teach us a lot about the habitability pathways 惑星s take as they develop,' she 追加するd.

An important factor for understanding whether the exoplanet could be habitable is looking at the level of 嵐／襲撃するs emitted from its 星／主役にする.?

Typically, red dwarf 星／主役にするs are magnetically active which 原因（となる）s them to 事業／計画（する） たびたび（訪れる） X-ray ゆらめくs that could destroy the atmosphere.

The teams have high hopes that this isn't the 事例／患者 though because the Gliese 12 星／主役にする hasn't 展示（する）d any 調印するs of extreme 嵐／襲撃するs or 行為.

天文学者s have already discovered 概略で 5,000 of these 惑星s, but 見積（る） there are likely over a 一兆 exoplanets in the 乳の Way alone - so far, only a handful are thought to have the 環境 needed to 支える life.

'We know of only a handful of temperate 惑星s 類似の to Earth that are both の近くに enough to us and 会合，会う other 基準 needed for this 肉親，親類d of 熟考する／考慮する,' said Michael McElwain, a 研究 astrophysicist at 航空宇宙局's Goddard Space Flight 中心 and a co-author of the Gliese 12 b 熟考する／考慮する.

'To better understand the 多様制 of atmospheres and evolutionary 結果s for these 惑星s, we need more examples like Gliese 12 b,' he 追加するd.

NasaExoplanetsJames Webb Space Telescope