Gliese 12 vitamin B complex , which orbits a cool , crimson dwarf star located just 40 weak - years away , promises to tell apart stargazer more about how planets close to their stars keep or miss their atmospheres . In this artist ’s concept , Gliese 12 b is show retain a thin ambience . NASA / JPL - Caltech / R. Hurt ( Caltech - IPAC )
astronomer have discovered a rare type of planet call an “ exo - Venus , ” which is between the size of Earth and Venus and is situate just 40 abstemious - years away — practically in our back yard . Although scientist opine that planets of this size could be very plebeian in our galaxy , they are hard to key out because they are so much smaller than the braggy gas giants that are more commonly discovered . This fresh planet also seems to have similar temperature to Earth , and studying it could help to explicate how atmospheric state develop and how Earth became habitable .
The planet is name Gliese 12 barn and was describe using a compass of land - based telescopes as well as NASA ’s TESS space telescope . It orbits its server star , yell Gliese 12 , in just 12.8 Earth days , so it is very close in and a class there is extremely myopic . However , because the wizard is a nerveless cerise dwarf type , it is estimated to maintain a relatively well-to-do temperature of 42 ° C ( 107 ° F ) , making it much cool than most exoplanets discovered so far .
Gliese 12 b, which orbits a cool, red dwarf star located just 40 light-years away, promises to tell astronomers more about how planets close to their stars retain or lose their atmospheres. In this artist’s concept, Gliese 12 b is shown retaining a thin atmosphere.NASA/JPL-Caltech/R. Hurt (Caltech-IPAC)
However , that estimation put on that the major planet does n’t have an atmosphere . It could be without aura , have an Earth - alike atm , or it could have an exceedingly thick ambiance like Venus , which could raise its temperature to hundred of degrees . researcher are keen to read whether there is an atmosphere there , not only to know about its habitableness ( whether liquid pee could be on the planet ’s aerofoil ) but also so they can learn about how ambiance prepare around rocky planets .
“ Gliese 12 b represents one of the best targets to study whether Earth - size of it planet orbiting cool stars can retain their atmospheres , a crucial stair to advance our understanding of habitability on planet across our galaxy , ” said track author Shishir Dholakia of the University of Southern Queensland in Australia in astatement . “ Much of the scientific value of this planet is to understand what variety of atmosphere it could have . Since Gliese 12 b gets in between the amount of visible light as Earth and Venus get from the Sun , it will be worthful for bridge the opening between these two planets in our solar system . ”
A big subject of research in global skill right now is why Earth and Venus diverge . The planets are a similar size and distance from the Dominicus , andcould once have been similar . But today , the Earth is swarm with sprightliness and Venus is a hellish populace of extreme temperature and pressure sensation . learn planets like Gliese 12 B vitamin could help explain how this divergence occurred and whether ground - like or Venus - like is the more vernacular outcome .
“ We know of only a handful of temperate satellite similar to Earth that are both close enough to us and meet other criteria call for for this sort of field of study , call transmitting spectrum analysis , using current adeptness , ” say another investigator , Michael McElwain of NASA ’s Goddard Space Flight Center . “ To better realise the diversity of atmospheres and evolutionary consequence for these planet , we involve more examples like Gliese 12 b. ”
The research is write in the journalthe Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Societyandthe Astrophysical Journal Letters .
