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In the Proxima Centauri star system – the star system closest to Earth – there is a planet the size of Earth called Proxima Centauri b and it could be very habitable, with all the conditions necessary to support and sustain life.
The planet is able to withstand the weather, it has vast areas of the surface covered with water, like the Earth, and is at a good distance from its host stars. It could be life, say the astronomers. The planet was discovered for the first time in 2016, notes a report from Space.com. The study was performed by running computer models normally used to study the climate on Earth.
New simulations have included giving the planet a dynamic and outstanding ocean, the report notes. An ocean like this was able to efficiently transfer heat from one side of Proxima Centauri to its cold side. In the researchers' conclusions, the movement of the atmosphere and oceans has been combined in such a way that even though the nocturnal side of the exoplanet never sees sunlight, "there is a band of Sustained liquid water around the equatorial region ". author of the article Anthony Del Genio, from the Goddard Institute for Space Studies of NASA.
"The biggest message of our simulations is that there is a good chance the planet is habitable," he said.
Proxima Centauri is only 4.2 light years away and is a small red dwarf star. However, despite its proximity to the Earth, little is known about Proxima Centauri b. Its mass is about 1.3 times that of the Earth and it revolves around its star host every 11 terrestrial days. The planet can do it and there is always liquid water because the star is much colder than the sun.
In addition, Del Genio and his team had made reasonable estimates of the exoplanet, including the composition of its atmosphere and the presence of an ocean on its surface. This has been done so that they can continue their simulations.
Proxima Centauri B is located in the Goldilocks area of the star – neither too hot nor too cold for any liquid water to exist on the surface. For this star, this area is extremely close. Although it means that the years are really short, once every 11 days, being so close to a star could allow the entire planet to lock itself up. Just as it is only possible to see one side of the Moon from Earth, one side of the planet will always face the Star.
The article describing this new research was published in the journal Astrobiology.
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