New Earth-like planet just 40 light-years away
December 17, 2009
Planet GJ1214b, just 40 light-years distant from us, could be the most earth like planet to have been discovered outside of our own solar system so far. Astronomers are excited by the new discovery because it could prove that there are planets similar to our own in the Universe.
The new planet is thought to be around seventy-five percent water but is likely to be far too hot to support any life similar to that on Earth. Astronomers believe that although the planet may have an atmosphere its surface temperature is likely to be around 200 degrees celcius. The planet is orbiting a red dwarf just 1.3 million miles away.
Zachory Berta, who discovered GJ1214b said that the planet was a lot smaller and a lot cooler than any other planet discovered so far. The Harvard-Smithsonian Centre for Astrophysics graduate student said that even though it was still a very hot planet it was still possible for it to be a water world. He went on to say that he suspected that some of the water existing on the planet would be in the form of a crystalline version known as Ice Seven which forms under immense pressures.
Astronomer Dr. David Charbonneau said that scientists will want to align the Hubble Space Telescope with the planet so that its composition could be fully understood as well as confirming whether or not it had an atmosphere. He said that because the new planet was relatively close, Hubble should be able to tell scientists a great deal.
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