The discovery of two Earth-like alien worlds has given a boost to scientists’ never-ending quest to find another planet that can support human existence. Both space entities have been discovered in the habitable zone of a star known as GJ 1002 and have masses comparable to that of Earth. The star belongs to a class of stars known as M dwarfs, which are tiny stars with a fraction of the mass and brightness of the Sun.
Scientists from the Institute of Astrophysics of the Canary Islands (IAC) in Spain made the discovery. Science Alert was informed by astronomer Vera Mara Passenger that GJ 1002 was a “dwarf” star with a mass only one-eighth that of the Sun. It is a cold and elusive star. This indicates that it is in the star’s habitable zone.
TOI 700, another Earth-like planet that may be habitable, was found by NASA just over 100 light-years away in the southern constellation of Dorado.
Scientists have not yet been able to confirm whether the worlds have running water or an atmosphere suitable for supporting life. The worlds are designated GJ 1002b and GJ 1002c by astronomers. The orbit of 1002b, which is closer to the star, takes 10 days to complete, but the orbit of 1002c takes 20 days.
ESPRESSO (Echelle Spectrograph for Rocky Exoplanets and Stable Spectroscopic Observations) and CARMENES (Calar Alto high-Resolution search for M dwarfs with Exoearths with Near-infrared and optical Echelle Spectrographs), two space observation tools, were used to make the discovery.
The search for exoworlds with signs of extraterrestrial life or energy sources such as water and heat has been ongoing for some time, and advances in space survey technologies are increasing the frequency of discoveries of possibly habitable planets. Astronomers have benefited greatly from the addition of James Webb to the space exploration fleet, as his discoveries will shed new light on the nature of the cosmos.
According to scientists, exploring the universe is vital not only to learn more about the universe as a whole, but also to better understand ourselves and the place of our planet and solar system in the greater scheme of things.
The proximity of GJ 1002b and GJ 1002c will allow future in-depth studies of the universe. The atmospheres of the two masses will be the subject of research based on “the heat they emit or the light they reflect”, according to the researchers. The distance at which possibly habitable planets are discovered is becoming shorter as technology advances at the speed of light. We may soon be able to see an exoplanet that has likely resided near our solar system all along, lurking in plain sight.
