研究人員發現類地行星

A team of researchers from the University of Warwick, in collaboration with NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA), has made an intriguing discovery – a new habitable Earth-sized planet named Gliese 12 b. This planet shares a similar temperature with the 2022 UK heatwave and is among the rare rocky planets where human survival is theoretically possible. Despite its potential, Gliese 12 b is situated 40 light years away, rendering it inaccessible to humans. Dr. Thomas Wilson, an astrophysicist at Warwick, expressed great enthusiasm about the finding, emphasizing its significance in advancing our understanding of Earth-like planets throughout the galaxy. With an estimated surface temperature of approximately 42C, Gliese 12 b orbits its sun-like star every 12. 8 days and is comparable in size to Earth. Moreover, it receives 1. 6 times more energy from its star than Earth does from the sun. The confirmation of the planet's existence and its key characteristics, including size, temperature, and distance from Earth, relied on data obtained from NASA and ESA's satellites. Dr. Wilson underscored the importance of this discovery, noting that it represents the closest Earth-sized and temperature planet known to us. Notably, the light reaching us from Gliese 12 b originated in 1984, indicating a 40-year journey to Earth. Larissa Palethorpe, a doctoral student at the University of Edinburgh and University College London, described Gliese 12 b as a unique candidate for further atmospheric study, offering valuable insights into the habitability pathways of developing planets.