Scientists find potentially habitable planet near Earth

Researchers found that the planet has more than four times the mass of Earth and orbits a red dwarf star Wolf 1061

Australian scientists have identified a potentially habitable exoplanet 14 light years from Earth - relatively short distance in space.

Researchers at the University of New South Wales found that the planet, which has more than four times the mass of Earth, is one of three orbiting the red dwarf star Wolf in 1061.

"It's a particularly exciting discovery because all three planets have a low mass enough to be potentially rocky and solid surface. And the planet's environment, Wolf 1061c is in the area (called) 'Goldilocks', which can be feasible to have liquid water - and perhaps even life, "said an author of the study, Duncan Wright.

The Wolf 1061-dwarf star that the three planets discovered orbiting, is relatively cool and stable. The planets have orbits of five, 18 and 67 days. The masses are at least 1.4, 4.3 and 5.2 times that of Earth, respectively.


The largest planet is outside the limits of living area and is also

Gliese

Robert Wittenmyer, who also participated in the research, told BBC Brazil that the super-Earth discovery is as important as another potentially habitable planet outside our solar system, Gliese 667Cc.

Announced in February 2012, Gliese 667Cc is another planet of the super-Earth class, a class of planets the size of the rocky planets like Earth and Mars and the gas giants Jupiter and Saturn.

The Gliese 667Cc is about 4.5 times the mass of Earth, it takes 28 days to complete the orbit around its star and is 22 light-years.

Small rocky planets are abundant in our galaxy, and systems with many planets also seem to be common. However, the majority of rocky planets discovered so far are hundreds - or even thousands - of light-years.

Atmosphere

Wittenmyer told BBC Brazil that the team of scientists can only analyze the planet's atmosphere when it passes in front of the star. "We will use our Minerva telescope to look for transits in February, when the star can be seen again. If (the planet) transit (in front of the star) is the best chance, because (the system) is so close (the Earth ). "

The scientist says that if they are able to observe the planet transiting in front of the star Wolf 1061, they can measure its radius, density and atmosphere.

The team from University of New South Wales managed to make the discovery by observing the star-dwarf with specific instruments of the European Southern Observatory in La Silla, Chile.


The location of the star Wolf 1061, which is considered relatively cool and stable

"Our team has developed a new technique that improves data analysis this precise instrument, built for hunting planets, and we study more than a decade of observations of the Wolf in 1061," said Professor Chris Tinney, head of the Science exoplanet sector Australian university.


"These three well on our side planets join the small but growing group of potentially habitable rocky worlds orbiting stars cooler than our sun next," he added. "It's fascinating to see the vastness of space and think that such a next star to us - a close neighbor - may have a habitable planet," said Duncan Wright.