Astronomers have found a potentially habitable planet near the Solar System

Astronomers have confirmed the existence of a potentially habitable exoplanet GJ 887 d near one of the stars closest to the Sun. The planet is located in the red dwarf GJ 887 system at a distance of about 10.7 light years from Earth and may be located in the so-called habitable zone, where liquid water is possible. This was reported on March 6 in Astronomy magazine.

The study showed that the GJ 887 system contains at least four planets. The observations were carried out using high-precision HARPS spectrographs at the La Silla Observatory and ESPRESSO at the telescope in Chile.

Previously, scientists already knew about two super-Earths — GJ 887 b and GJ 887 C. They were discovered using the radial velocity method: the planet's gravity causes small fluctuations in the star, which are recorded as Doppler changes in its light. However, the signal with a period of about 50 days remained controversial for a long time — it was unclear whether it was related to the planet or to the magnetic activity of the star itself.

Additional observations allowed us to determine the rotation period of the star — about 39 days. This helped the researchers to more accurately separate the "noise" of stellar activity from the signals of the planets. As a result, the suspected object was confirmed as a new planet — GJ 887 d. It orbits the star in about 51 days and is located in the habitable zone of the system.

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According to scientists, the mass of GJ 887 d is about six times the mass of the Earth. This makes it a super-Earth, a type of planet that is larger than Earth but smaller than Neptune. Due to its location in a zone of moderate temperatures, the planet can maintain conditions under which liquid water exists on its surface.

GJ 887 d became only the second confirmed planet in the habitable zone at a distance of about 10 light-years from Earth after Proxima Centauri b. The proximity of the system makes it one of the most promising targets for future space telescopes that will be able to directly study the atmospheres of exoplanets and look for possible signs of life.

Earlier, on December 1, the Laboratory of Solar Astronomy at the Institute of Space Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IKI RAS) reported the appearance of the largest complex of spots on the Sun this year. According to experts, this can be a source of tremendous energy, possibly for a super explosion.

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