An Earth-like planet orbiting a small, cool star not far from our sun could be the best candidate so far for detecting life. The “super-Earth”, a rocky planet about six times the mass of Earth, orbits close in around the star LHS 1140, a red dwarf star about 40 light years from Earth. It’s in the “Goldilocks region”, an orbit where it’s not too hot and not too cold, so liquid water can exist on its surface. There have been nearly 3,500 exoplanets discovered, but the new planet is exciting to scientists because it may be possible to carry out an analysis of its atmosphere with existing telescopes.
This Planet Around A Small, Cool Star May Be Our Best Shot At Finding Alien Life
