Captivating finding - Potential existence of life on this planet.
We've found out that this planet might be as big as our Earth, could be habitable, and it's super close to us. (...) That's pretty awesome.
Gliese 12b is similar to our Earth but slightly smaller, around the size of Venus. It goes around a red dwarf star in the Pisces constellation in a 12-day cycle. Scientists think its temperature is about 42 degrees Celsius.
And in comparison to the vastness of space, it's almost within reach. "It's only 40 light-years away," says Dholakia to The Guardian, "which doesn't necessarily mean we can get there in the near future, but it means we can point the biggest space telescopes at it and study how its atmosphere could be."
The atmosphere plays a huge role in whether a planet can support life. Consider Earth and Venus: "Earth is a haven for life just like we know it, while Venus is so hot it could melt lead on the surface."
Does the planet have liquid water?
Dholakia views Gliese 12b as a promising candidate for a life-friendly planet: "It might have the right temperature to let water exist in liquid form on its surface." And planets that have liquid water could potentially be habitable.
This exoplanet could also give us clues about our own solar system, hopes Dholakia: "We figure that this planet, which receives light from its star similar to between Earth and Venus, could help us understand why Venus and Earth are so different."
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Source: symclub.org
