A planet that could harbor alien life has been spotted by a team of astronomers from the Institute of Astrophysics and Space Sciences (IA), who used the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope (ESO’s VLT) in Chile.
According to Maria Rosa Zapatero Osorio, an astronomer at the Astrobiology Center in Madrid, Spain, and one of the authors of the study “A hot Earth half the mass of Venus passing through a nearby star” published in Astronomy & Astrophysics, “the planet” may have an atmosphere that could protect life and preserve it.
publicity celebrity
The distance of the planetary system L 98-59 is 35 light years from Earth. The study suggests that one of the three planets orbiting the star L 98-59 could have up to a third of its mass in water. The other two are rocky and dry and may contain a small amount of water.
Check out the planet in the ESO animation:
Osorio explains that astronomers have used the Echelle Spectrograph for Rocky Exoplanets and Stable Spectroscopic Observation (ESPRESSO) to study the L 98-59 planetary system: “Without the accuracy and stability of ESPRESSO this measurement would not have been possible. This is a step forward in our ability to measure the masses of the smallest exoplanets. solar.”
The team also found “hidden” exoplanets not previously seen in this planetary system: the fourth and possibly the fifth. The distance between these two other planets from the star L 98-59 may indicate the presence of liquid water on their surfaces.
“We have evidence of a terrestrial planet in the habitable zone of this system. If we want to know what a planet is made of, the minimum we need is its mass and radius,” says Olivier Demangon, a researcher at the Institute of Astrophysics and Space Sciences at the University of Porto in Portugal. , and lead author of a new study book.
This system announces what is to come. We as a society have been chasing terrestrial planets since the birth of astronomy, and now we are finally getting closer and closer to discovering a terrestrial planet in the habitable zone of its star, with which we can study the atmosphere,” he celebrated.
You have seen our new videos on Youtube? Subscribe to our channel!
“Friendly zombie fanatic. Analyst. Coffee buff. Professional music specialist. Communicator.”
