Scientists have suggested that a newly discovered star, known as Ross 128 b, is the most likely to support life out of all of Earth’s neighbors. However, this is nowhere near confirmed as aside from its size (around the same as Earth), and its surface type (rocky), little else is known about the planet.
Further studies are required on the planet to determine whether or not it is capable of sustaining life such as whether or not there is water and what the temperatures range from. It is suggested that the planet boasts temperatures much like a spring day on earth, but that is just the high end of a range of possible temperatures on the planet that would go from 76 below zero Fahrenheit (-60 C) up to 68 F (20 C).
Ross 128 b is situated in the constellation Virgo and, despite it being eleven light years away (about 66 trillion miles), in space terms, this makes it one of our closest neighbors. There is only one planet closer – Proxima b, just four light years away from Earth.
The planet orbits a red dwarf – Ross 128 – a cool star that is about one-fifth of the size of our Sun. Red dwarves are the most common type of star in the galaxy and are often incredibly fierce, blowing away the planet’s atmosphere – a necessity for the development of life.
Researchers have found Ross 128 to be a relatively quiet star compared to others, which is why they’re expecting the planet to have an atmosphere. What’s more, Ross 128 b might not have days and nights, because it orbits only four and a half million miles from its star. In comparison, Earth is around 93 million miles away from the Sun. Planets that are close to their star tend to be “tidally locked”, with one side always facing away from the star and the other half in darkness. This would make life problematic.
Astronauts are counting on the ELT (Extremely Large Telescope) to learn more and in the meantime, you can read a more in-depth analysis of this new discovery here.