Newly discovered super-Earth could be habitable and could host another mysterious planet

The planet has the potential to be habitable according to NASA.

A world 137 light years away: TOI-715 b

Located at a distance of approximately 137 light-years from our planet, the exoplanet known as TOI-715 b has captured the attention of the international scientific community. Orbiting around a red dwarf star, this distant world has a mass estimated at 3.02 times that of Earth, making it one of the recent wonders discovered by humanity in its relentless quest to understand the universe.

The power of NASA: the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS)

Revealed to the public in 2023, this discovery was made possible by NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), a mission that continues to expand our horizons into the outer reaches of our solar system and beyond.

A second planet in the star system?

The star system to which TOI-715 b belongs could hold even more secrets, as clues suggest the presence of a second exoplanet , comparable in size to Earth. This possible planet, provisionally designated TIC 271971130.02 , if confirmed would represent the smallest world discovered by TESS within the habitable zone of its star.

The habitable zone: the key requirement for life

The habitable zone, a crucial concept in astrobiology, refers to the region around a star where conditions allow the existence of liquid water on a planet's surface, a key requirement for life as we know it.

The announcement of the discovery

This exciting development was published in the January issue of the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, with NASA announcing the find on January 31. According to Amaury Triaud, co-author of the study and professor of exoplanetology at the University of Birmingham, UK, TOI-715 b lies comfortably within the habitable zone, taking into account the most conservative estimates and the uncertainties inherent to the star and planet itself.

The crucial size of TOI-715 b

The size of TOI-715 b plays a key role in determining its composition and, therefore, its potential habitability. Researchers, including Georgina Dransfield, first author of the study, were surprised to discover that this exoplanet not only resides in the habitable zone but could also be rocky.

What are super-Earths?

This characteristic is vital, since for super-Earths (planets with masses between two and ten times that of our planet) to be considered rocky, they must avoid being too big or too small. Too big, and they are assumed to be gaseous, similar to Neptune or Jupiter, with no solid surface where life as we know it could exist.

The exciting possibility of a habitable rocky planet

The possibility that TOI-715 b is a rocky planet opens up exciting possibilities about its habitability. Sarah Moran, a researcher who was not involved in the study but studies exoplanet atmospheres at the University of Arizona, says that confirming the planet's mass and diameter is crucial to determining its exact nature. If it is predominantly rocky, it could be a promising candidate for hosting Earth-like conditions.

The importance of exoplanets for humanity

Exoplanets, worlds beyond our solar system, have captured humanity’s imagination for centuries. From early philosophical speculations to the technological advances that enabled their detection, the study of these celestial bodies has challenged our preconceived notions and expanded our understanding of the cosmos.

The search for exoplanets not only satisfies our inherent curiosity, but also has profound implications for our understanding of the origin of life and the possibility of other forms of intelligent life existing in the vast universe.

Historical perspectives

The idea that there might be worlds other than the planets in our solar system has fascinated thinkers since ancient times. Philosophers such as Epicurus and Democritus speculated about the existence of an infinite number of worlds, while Giordano Bruno was burned at the stake for suggesting that stars were distant suns with their own planetary systems.

It was not until the 16th century that the scientific revolution, driven by giants such as Copernicus, Galileo and Kepler, laid the groundwork for a more accurate understanding of the cosmos. However, the direct detection of exoplanets remained beyond the reach of science for centuries more.

The birth of modern exoplanetology

The discovery of the first exoplanet orbiting a main-sequence star, 51 Pegasi b, in 1995, marked a milestone in astronomy. This discovery, made by astronomers Michel Mayor and Didier Queloz, challenged established theories on planetary formation and opened a new field of research: exoplanetology.

Since then, the hunt for exoplanets has become a global enterprise, with space missions like NASA's Kepler and TESS, as well as cutting-edge ground-based observatories, dedicated to finding and studying these fascinating worlds.

The promise of extraterrestrial life

One of the main drivers of exoplanet research is the search for conditions conducive to life. Although life on Earth is the only known example so far, scientists believe that if the right ingredients are present, life could arise elsewhere in the universe.

Detecting exoplanets in the habitable zone of their host stars, where temperatures allow for the existence of liquid water, has been a key goal. Planets like TOI-715 b, with features suggesting they could be rocky and have an atmosphere, are particularly exciting candidates for further investigation.

Challenging our perceptions

Each new exoplanet discovery challenges our preconceived notions about the cosmos. From hot gas giants orbiting incredibly close to their stars to planetary systems with multiple worlds, these findings remind us that the universe is more diverse and complex than we imagine.

The detection of exoplanets forces us to question our theories about the formation and evolution of planetary systems, and to seek explanations for the unexpected phenomena we observe.

Towards new horizons

As exoplanet detection and characterisation techniques continue to improve, even more fascinating worlds are expected to be discovered. Future telescopes and space missions, such as the James Webb Space Telescope and ESO’s Extremely Large Telescope, promise to reveal unprecedented details about the atmospheric composition and surface conditions of the most promising exoplanets.

Furthermore, the search for biosignatures – chemical indicators of life – in the atmospheres of habitable exoplanets could eventually lead to one of the most momentous discoveries in history: the confirmation of life beyond Earth.

While there is still much to discover, exoplanet exploration has proven to be one of the most exciting frontiers of modern science. Each new discovery, such as TOI-715 b and its possible planetary companion, brings us one step closer to unlocking the mysteries of the cosmos and our own existence.