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(NASA Goddard / Robert Simmon (Earth), NASA / JPL (Neptune))
An exoplanet twice the size of the Earth, known as the Wolf 503b, was found only 145 light-years away from our planet.
The researchers noted that Wolf 503b is interesting not only because of its size (it could be a "Super-Earth"), but also of its orbit – it revolves around its star every six days.
An exoplanet is a planet outside our solar system.
"Wolf 503b is one of the only planets with a radius near the gap that has a star bright enough to be studied in more detail, which will limit its true nature," said Björn Benneke, professor at UdeM. . "It provides a key opportunity to better understand the origin of this gap as well as the nature of the intriguing populations of" super-lands "and" sub-neptunes "as a whole."
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The results were published in a study conducted by American, Canadian and German researchers. Merrin Peterson, a graduate student of the Exoplanet Research Institute, is the lead author of the study.
The new exoplanet was found using data from NASA's Kepler Space Telescope, which indicated that most of the Milky Way planets are approximately the same size as Wolf 503b.
"Since there is nothing like them in our solar system, astronomers wonder if these planets are small super-rocky lands or mini gaseous versions of Neptune," the statement added.
Wolf 503b's proximity to the Earth makes it brighter than other objects in the sky. Given its luminosity, the researchers hope to examine then the mass of the planet, which could say a lot about its composition.
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If its composition is similar to that of the Earth, it should have an apparent density of about 14 times its mass. If it was like Neptune, with an atmosphere largely composed of gas, "it would be about half the size," the researchers said.
The program used to identify Wolf 503b has also found that its host star is an orange dwarf, which means it is not as bright as our Sun, but twice as old. Peterson said the discovery and confirmation of the new exoplanet "were very fast," citing the latest Kepler K2 data release in May.
Because of its proximity to the Earth, Wolf 503, the Wolf 503b star, will constitute a "prime target" for the James Webb space telescope, which will help determine the planet's atmosphere and determine whether it contains the elements necessary for life. , including hydrogen and water.
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"By studying the nature of Wolf 503b, we will understand more about the structure of planets near the range of radius and more generally about the diversity of exoplanets present in our galaxy," said Peterson. "I look forward to learning more about it."
The discovery is the latest in a series of discoveries of new planets. In February 2017, an international team of astronomers announced the discovery of 60 new planets orbiting the Earth's solar system, including a rocky 'super-earth'.
The same month, NASA revealed the discovery of seven Earth-like planets orbiting the TRAPPIST-1 star at 40 light-years from Earth. According to scientists, three of the planets are in the "habitable zone" where liquid water can exist.
Two months later, in a separate research project, scientists reported that an exoplanet located 40 light-years from Earth could be the best place to look for signs of life outside our solar system.
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Earlier this year, for the first time, scientists announced the discovery of planets in galaxies beyond the Milky Way.
Using data from NASA's Chandra X-ray observatory, a team of astrophysicists from the University of Oklahoma identified extragalactic planets at about 3.8 billion light-years. The space observatory helped scientists find about 2,000 mass objects comparable to the Moon and Jupiter.
Fox Rogers "James Rogers contributed to this story Follow Chris Ciaccia on Twitter @Chris_Ciaccia
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