New Planet That Could Support Life
 |
| Scientists Discover Two New Earth-Like Planets That Could Support Life |
MSU Professor Helps NASA Discover Earth-Like Planet That Could Support Life
A team of researchers led by Michigan State University professor Joey Rodriguez has helped NASA confirm the existence of a new Earth-like planet that could potentially support life.
The planet, named TOI-700e, is located about 100 light-years away and orbits within the habitable zone of its star, meaning that liquid water could exist on its surface.
TOI-700e is the third planet discovered in the TOI-700 solar system, and it is the most Earth-like of the three. It is about 90% the size of Earth and has a mass of about 80% of Earth's mass.
It also has a relatively short orbit, taking just 28 days to circle its star.
Rodriguez and his team used data from NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) to discover TOI-700e.
TESS works by monitoring the brightness of stars for signs of a planet passing in front of them.
When a planet passes in front of its star, it causes a slight dip in the star's brightness.
Once TESS discovered TOI-700e, Rodriguez and his team used other telescopes to confirm its existence and learn more about it.
They found that the planet is likely rocky and has a temperate climate.
This means that it could potentially support liquid water on its surface, which is essential for life as we know it.
The discovery of TOI-700e is a major step forward in the search for life beyond Earth.
It is one of the most Earth-like planets ever found, and it is located in a region of space where planets are more likely to form.
This suggests that there could be many other Earth-like planets out there in the universe.
Rodriguez and his team are now planning further studies to learn more about TOI-700e, including whether it has an atmosphere and whether it could potentially support life.
If they find that the planet is habitable, it would be a major milestone in the search for life beyond Earth.
A team of researchers led by Michigan State University professor Joey Rodriguez has helped NASA confirm the existence of a fourth planet in the TOI-700 solar system.
The planet, named TOI-700e, is located within the habitable zone of its star, meaning that liquid water could exist on its surface.
This makes it one of the most promising places to search for life beyond Earth.
Rodriguez and his team first discovered the TOI-700 solar system in 2020.
They confirmed the existence of three planets at the time, but they suspected that there could be a fourth. After another year of observation and study, they were able to confirm TOI-700e.
TOI-700e is about 90% the size of Earth and has a mass of about 80% of Earth's mass. It also has a relatively short orbit, taking just 28 days to circle its star.
Liquid water is a crucial ingredient for life as we know it, and TOI-700e is located at the right distance from its star for liquid water to exist on its surface.
However, researchers cannot say for sure whether the planet actually has liquid water or whether it is habitable.
One way to confirm that TOI-700e is habitable is to study its atmosphere.
If the planet has an atmosphere that contains certain gases, such as oxygen, it would be a strong indication that life could exist there.
However, some chemical signatures could also be explained by non-biological sources, so it is important to be cautious.
Rodriguez and his team are planning further studies to learn more about TOI-700e and its atmosphere.
They are also hopeful that other telescopes, such as the James Webb Space Telescope, will be able to study the planet in more detail in the future.
A team of astronomers led by Michigan State University professor Joey Rodriguez has discovered two new Earth-like planets that could potentially support life.
The planets, named TOI-700d and TOI-700e, orbit within the habitable zone of their star, meaning that liquid water could exist on their surfaces.
TOI-700d is about 20% larger than Earth and orbits its star every 37 days. TOI-700e is about 90% the size of Earth and orbits its star every 28 days.
Both planets are located about 100 light-years from Earth.
"We need to look for the evidence that there's the right biology on the planet (to conclude that it could sustain life)," Rodriguez said.
The discovery of TOI-700d and TOI-700e is a significant one, as it brings the total number of known Earth-like planets in the habitable zone to over 50.
This suggests that there could be many other planets out there in the universe that could potentially support life.
There are no signs that the TOI-700 system is home to any more planets that have yet to be discovered, but Rodriguez didn't rule out the possibility as researchers continue to study the system.
"This is one of only a few systems with multiple, small, habitable-zone planets that we know of," said Emily Gilbert, a postdoctoral fellow at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, who is leading the project, in a press release.
"That makes the TOI-700 system an exciting prospect for additional follow-up."
Humans Won't Be Traveling to TOI-700e Anytime Soon
Neither humans nor satellites will be traveling anywhere close to the new planet any time soon.
The technology needed for a 100-light year trip does not yet exist, Rodriguez said.
However, this won't stop him and the team of researchers from continuing to study the solar system and the planets they've discovered.
Rodriguez, who has been doing this work for 12 years, hopes there are more planets to find.
"There's so much parameter space and places where planets could exist," he said. "We'll probably find more things, but they'll be more difficult to discover."
Conclusion
The discovery of TOI-700d and TOI-700e is an exciting one, as it brings us one step closer to finding life beyond Earth.
Scientists are now planning further studies to learn more about these planets and to determine whether they are actually habitable.
.jpg)
