New Exoplanet Candidate Resembles Earth But Could Be a Frozen World

A faint dip in starlight has scientists excited, because it hints at a rocky world that looks surprisingly familiar. According to Sonja Issel, researchers have flagged HD 137010 b, a planet candidate about 146 light years away.

On paper, it feels like a cousin of Earth. The world appears only about six percent larger, and it circles its star in roughly 355 days. That rhythm is close to our year, which is why people are paying attention.

But the similarity ends fast. The host star is cooler and dimmer than our sun, so the candidate receives less than a third of the energy we get. Models suggest surface temperatures around minus 68 to minus 70 degrees Celsius, which is closer to Mars than a beach day.

Still, the story is not over. In a study in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, scientists note that a dense atmosphere rich in carbon dioxide could trap heat and allow liquid water at least at times. That twist is a reminder of how powerful an atmosphere can be, for better or worse, on any planet.

The signal itself came from citizen scientists in the Planet Hunters project, who combed through older Kepler K2 data. Kepler saw just one transit in 2017, lasting about 10 hours, so the object still needs more observations before it can be confirmed.

If future telescopes can catch another pass, astronomers may start looking for gases like oxygen or methane. Even then, this world will stay far beyond our reach, so the best home we have is the one with wildlife and animals we can protect today.

Taking care of the environment and choosing plant based or vegan meals supports cleaner air, safer water, and better health. Let this discovery push us to live a little lighter on our own world.

Video Source: ABC News (Australia)/Youtube

Sign These Petitions! 

Please sign our latest and most urgent petitions to help the planet. Every signature counts!

• Petition: Fund a Bird Flu Vaccine Before the U.S. Food Supply Is at Risk
• Petition: Fund A Bird Flu Vaccine Now
• Petition: Justice for Bunny After Cat Allegedly Tortured in Kentucky

Related Content:

•  SpaceX Rocket Debris Is Polluting a Turtle Nesting Beach in Mexico
•  Methane Tracking Satellite Fails After Just One Year in Space
•  Katy Perry’s Space Flight Sparks Climate Hypocrisy Backlash
•  US Military to Turn Hawaii Bird Sanctuary into SpaceX Rocket Site