Scientists have announced the discovery of a rocky planet orbiting the closest star to our solar system.
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And unlike the Earth, which rotates as it orbits, giving us days and nights, Proxima b spins more like our moon, meaning one side is constantly bathed in light while the other is shrouded in darkness.
Proxima Centauri is a red dwarf star located just over four light-years from our Solar System in the constellation of Centaurus.
It’s about 1.3 times the size of Earth and whips around its star much faster than we do: its year is just 11.2 of our days.
Scientists still aren’t sure whether planets like Proxima b are habitable, because of debates about whether they can sustain an atmosphere and liquid water.
Astronomers have found clear evidence of a potentially habitable planet orbiting the closest star to our solar system.
Proxima b is only 4.6 million miles from Proxima Centauri, or one-twentieth of the distance between Earth and the sun.
Astronomer Ansgar Reiners told reporters that the relatively small distance between Earth and the newly-discovered planet will allow for an easier investigation of its features in the future. It is said liquid water could exist on it and dream of astronomers could come true with follow-up observation. Following a month of rumors and hints, Proxima B was unveiled today in a paper in the journal Nature.
Watch more on the discovery of Proxima B below.
Researchers have long looked to Alpha Centauri for study.
All these features mean Proxima b could potentially support water and be viable for supporting life. It’s much smaller and cooler than the sun. Research on Proxima B continues as there are still questions left unanswered. Without an atmosphere, it could be -22 to -40 degrees Fahrenheit. Earth would be -4 degrees if it didn’t have an atmosphere.
NASAs Kepler space telescope has discovered more than 2,300 exoplanets to date by studying how a stars light dims when a planet passes in front of it as viewed by the spacecraft. The planet also receives 2/3rds of its energy from its star, much like Earth.
This story has been corrected to show that Mark Zuckerberg did not take part in the Breakthrough Starshot announcement.
This is an extraordinarily significant discovery due to the fact that Proxima Centauri really isn’t that far from our own solar system.
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“We know that there are terrestrial planets around stars”.
