Earth-Sized Exoplanet Found Orbiting Dim Red Dwarf Star
An international team of astronomers has announced the discovery of a new Earth-sized exoplanet, SPECULOOS-3b, orbiting an ultra-cool red dwarf star approximately 55 light-years away. This is only the second system found with a planet of this size around such a star, which is half as hot and 100 times less luminous than the Sun. The planet was detected using the transit method, where astronomers observed the slight dimming of the star's light as the planet passed in front of it.
Despite the red dwarf's low temperature and smaller mass, its long lifespan—estimated to be over 100 billion years—presents an intriguing possibility for the existence of life on orbiting planets. However, SPECULOOS-3b is tidally locked, with one side perpetually facing the star, potentially creating a harsh environment with extreme radiation levels. The prospects for an atmosphere, and thus life as we know it, are considered highly unlikely due to these conditions.
The discovery is part of the Search for Planets Eclipsing Ultra-cool Stars (SPECULOOS) project, involving institutions such as the University of Liège, the Universities of Birmingham, Cambridge, Bern, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Future studies, including observations with the James Webb Space Telescope, are planned to further investigate SPECULOOS-3b's composition and atmosphere potential. This research has been published in the scientific journal Nature Astronomy.
