Earth-like planet discovered near Sun's neighbor
August 26, 2016
The scientists announced their findings on Wednesday in the latest edition of the peer-reviewed journal "Nature."
According to the article, Proxima b is only four light-years away from Earth. It orbits the red dwarf star Proxima Centauri, which is the closest star to the Sun.
A group of scientists led by British researchers discovered the planet with the help of the European Southern Observatory telescope in Chile. They were able to locate Proxima b by recording the shifts in the light from the star.
Another Earth?
Because Proxima b is weaker than the sun, it could be within the "habitable zone" - the zone that is neither too hot nor too cold for humans - researchers said.
However, the scientists also said that Proxima b's habitability depends on its atmosphere. "You can come up with formation scenarios that end up with an Earth-like atmosphere, a Venus-like atmosphere, or no atmosphere at all," said one of the article's authors, Ansgar Reiners, according to AFP news agency.
Of the more than 3,500 "exoplanets" - a planet that orbits a star other than the Sun - Proxima b is also the only one within reach of a future space mission.
blc/ (AFP, dpa)