Exoplanet discovered in the habitable zone! 137 light-years from Earth, with a 19-day year

According to NASA's statement, the planet, named "TOI-715 b," is 1.5 times the size of Earth and orbits within the habitable zone—the distance from its host star that allows for the presence of liquid water on its surface—completing one orbit around the star in 19 days.

The statement noted that there may possibly be another Earth-sized planet in the system to which "TOI-715 b" belongs.

The exoplanet in question was discovered by an international team of scientists led by Dr. Georgina Dransfield, a research fellow at the University of Birmingham, using the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS).

To confirm their findings, the scientists on the team used the Gemini-South telescope, the Las Cumbres Observatory (LCO) telescopes in California, USA, the European Southern Observatory's (ESO) Exoplanets in Transit and their Atmospheres (ExTrA) telescopes, the Search for habitable Planets Eclipsing Ultra-cool Stars (SPECULOOS) network, and the Transiting Planets and Planetesimals Small Telescope - South (TRAPPIST-South).

The research included information that the red dwarf star, which the "Super-Earth" exoplanet 137 light-years away orbits, is smaller and cooler than the Sun, and that such stars often host rocky planets in their orbits.

Because "TOI-715 b" completes one orbit around its star—which corresponds to one year—in 19 days, it can be observed more frequently.

The research stated that if the other potential planet in the system centered on the "TOI-715" star is also detected, it could be the smallest planet in the habitable zone discovered by TESS.

The research was published in the journal "Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society."

News Source: AA