Scientists have calculated the closest exoplanet to Earth suitable for life – TASS

NEW YORK, August 25. / Corr. TASS Aleksey Kachalin /. Astronomers have discovered the closest to our solar system planet (exoplanet), similar to Earth and suitable for life. It is about Proxima B, which orbits the star Proxima Centauri. Basic calculations of scientists published in the journal Nature website.

exoplanets closer and there can not

The group led by Guillem Anglada-escudos from the Queen Mary University in London has come to the conclusion that it is on the nearest planet to Earth, suitable for existence of organic life in one form or another. “The good news is that it (the planet) is close, however, the location of the neighborhood -. It is not just a nice thing, it’s a dream come true for astronomers who want to continue to observe the object,” – he said co-author Ansgar Reiners

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“It’s not just the closest of the already discovered earth-like planets, but probably closest to our planet outside the solar system from the already discovered or to be discovered. There are no stars, which is located closer (than Proxima Centauri) to the solar system, respectively planet (the star) is located closest to the solar system, “- said Anglada-Escudo

a relatively similar to Earth

Proxima B is located at a distance of 4.2 light years from. the solar system, or at a distance of 266 thousand times greater than that between the Earth and the sun. Until now, the closest to us were considered planets orbiting stars TRAPPIST-1 (red dwarf). From the Earth to its 40 light-years.

Proxima B reaches 1.3 mass of our makes orbit around its star for 11.2 days. The distance between the planet and its star reaches only 5% of the distance between Earth and the sun. However, Proxima Centauri is much colder than our star, so its relative proximity does not exclude the presence on the surface of Proxima B water in liquid form.

Scientists admit the existence of the planet’s atmosphere and appreciate the air temperature on the surface of 30-40 degrees. Without the atmosphere, the figure would have amounted to 28,9-40 degrees below zero.

Unfavorable factor

However, along with the favorable factors to Proxima B there are unfavorable factors. So, the researchers believe that the level of UV and radiation, which undergoes a planet is 100 times stronger than on Earth.

Scientists consider it expedient “to conduct additional studies of a celestial body with the help of high-resolution direct observation spectroscopy coming decades, as well as through the (unmanned) expeditions in the coming century. ” Previously, due to the information transmitted to Earth Telescope “Kepler”, in our galaxy – the Milky Way – was discovered more than a thousand exoplanets, outside the system, formed around a hundred stars. NASA expects the new data on them will be prepared by the James Webb telescope, which should go into orbit in 2018.