A novel Earth - sized exoplanet has been discovered orbiting a wispy red star just 219 promiscuous - years away . Earth - size does n’t mean Earth - like , however , as astronomers think the planet could be more similar to Venus than to our informal cosmos .
In a paper , published inThe Astronomical Journal , researchers discuss the discovery of Kepler-1649b . The aim has a radius only 8 pct bigger than our own major planet and revolve its star in just under nine days .
If it was orbiting anything other than a red dwarf , it would be cinder by now . But the star , Kepler-1649 , is smaller and dimmer than the Sun . Its radius is about one - quarter of our star and has a surface temperature of just over 3,200 kelvins ( 2900 ° C , 5300 ° F ) , significantly lower than the Sun .
While it might not be a molten inferno , the exoplanet is still receiving a huge amount of easy – 2.3 times the influx of stellar radioactivity compared to Earth . Venus come about 1.9 times more solar flux than we do .
While object like this might not be life - friendly , studying them is “ becoming more and more important in social club to understand the habitable zone boundaries of M dwarfs , ” said jumper cable author Isabel Angelo of the SETI Institute in astatement . “ There are several factors , like lead variability and tidal effects , that make these planets different from solid ground - sized planet around Sun - like hotshot . ”
metre - dwarfs are one of the most plebeian type of stars in the galaxy , so understanding the region of habitability around them is very important . The seven - planet star topology Trappist-1 is an M - dwarf , and uranologist have latterly studiedthe atmosphere of a super - Earthnear one of these stars . We might encounter more extreme satellite before we observe a life - worthy one , however .
“ Many hoi polloi are hung up on finding other Earths . But Venus analogs are just as important , ” atomic number 27 - generator Elisa Quintana , also at the SETI Institute , said . “ Since Modern telescopes coming down the freeway will allow us to probe aura , focusing on both Earth and Venus analogs may help decipher why , in our Solar System , one planet allows life to thrive , and one does not , despite having interchangeable masses , comparable densities , etc . ”
The new exoplanet was discovered by the planet - hunting space telescopeKepler . So far , over 4,000 exoplanets have been divulge .
