Astronomers have discovered a potentially habitable exoplanet, Wolf 1069b, just 31 light-years away. This Earth-like planet could potentially host life if it has an atmosphere and liquid water. The Max Planck Institute for Astronomy led the discovery, using the Calar-Alto Observatory in Spain to observe the red dwarf star Wolf 1069 for several years. They noticed an unusual periodic shift in spectral lines, occurring every 15.6 days, which could only be caused by an exoplanet. Further analysis revealed Wolf 1069b, which has a mass 1.2 times that of Earth and is roughly the same size.
Wolf 1069b orbits its star at a distance of 0.067 astronomical units, or about one-fifteenth of the distance between the Sun and Earth. However, because the red dwarf star is cooler and less luminous than the Sun, the planet only receives about 65% of the solar radiation that Earth does. Despite this, Wolf 1069b is in the conservative habitable zone of its star, where liquid water could exist. The planet is also likely tidally locked, meaning it always presents the same face to its star. This could result in a mean temperature of 13 degrees Celsius on the day side, and potentially even higher temperatures depending on the atmosphere.
The discovery of Wolf 1069b adds to the growing list of potentially habitable exoplanets, and its proximity makes it an exciting target for future study. However, because the planet does not transit its star from Earth’s perspective, it is difficult to observe and analyze its atmosphere. The upcoming Extremely Large Telescope in Chile may provide a way to study Wolf 1069b and other non-transiting Earth-like planets in the future. Overall, Wolf 1069b is a promising addition to the search for life beyond our solar system.
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