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Discovery of Two Planets in Habitable Zone 12 Light-Years from Earth Could Offer New Perspectives in the Search for Extraterrestrial Life in the Universe
Astronomers announced the discovery of two Earth-like planets orbiting the star Teegarden, located just 12 light-years away. The star, a faint and ultracool red dwarf, exhibits characteristics that raise hopes of finding life beyond the solar system.
The findings, reported in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics, resulted from years of precise observations, revealing a nearby and intriguing planetary system.
A Quiet and Promising Star
The star Teegarden was first discovered in 2003. Despite being relatively close to Earth, it went unnoticed until now.
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It has only 9% of the Sun’s mass and belongs to the class of ultra-cool M dwarfs. This classification is similar to the TRAPPIST-1 system. However, Teegarden’s star is much closer to Earth than TRAPPIST-1, making it a priority target for future studies.
The two newly discovered planets, identified as the stars near Teegarden, are located in a zone where liquid water could exist. This raises expectations regarding the habitability of these worlds, fueling the search for signs of life beyond Earth.
Discovery Through Precise Observations
The detection of the planets was made possible thanks to the CARMENES instrument at the Calar Alto Observatory in Spain. Over three years, astronomers conducted more than 200 measurements of the star Teegarden. These latest measurements revealed periodic oscillations, indicating the gravitational pull of orbiting planets.
The data shows that planet b of Teegarden completes an orbit around the star every 4.9 Earth days. Planet c of Teegarden takes 11.4 days to complete its orbit. Both planets have about 1.1 times the mass of Earth, making them extremely similar to our planet.
A Promising System for Future Studies
One of the most notable aspects of this discovery is the calm behavior of the star Teegarden. Unlike many red dwarfs, known for outbursts that can destroy planetary atmospheres, this star is abnormally quiet.
This characteristic could increase the chances of habitability for the planets in its orbit.
Before confirming the habitability of the planets, astronomers will need to eliminate other possible indications for the detected signals. Planetary signals can sometimes be confused with the activity of the star itself.
However, the stability of the star Teegarden gives scientists confidence in the discovery.
Next Steps in Exploration
Lauren Weiss, an astronomer at the University of Hawaii, described the planets as very plausible candidates for life.
Weiss emphasized that there are still uncertainties about the star’s rotation, but even if the calculations of the orbital periods are partially inaccurate, the planets are still considered real.
Due to the proximity of the system, it will become an essential target for future missions. Next-generation telescopes could provide additional information and search for biosignatures — chemical signs indicating the presence of life.
Whether these planets truly harbor life remains an unanswered question, but their discovery represents an exciting advance in the search for habitable worlds beyond the solar system.
With information from Digitimed.
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