Astronomers are turning their attention to a newly discovered planet, HD 137010 b, which may be an ideal candidate in the search for extraterrestrial life. At almost exactly the size of Earth, this planet orbits a bright star just 146 light-years away, making it a perfect target for future telescopes.
HD 137010 b’s orbit is almost identical to Earth’s, lasting 355 days. However, it resides in the icy edge of its star’s habitable zone, meaning it receives less energy than Earth, possibly placing it in conditions similar to Mars. Despite this, calculations suggest there’s a 40% chance that the planet could orbit closer to its star, placing it firmly within the habitable zone where liquid water could exist.
The discovery of HD 137010 b was a collaborative effort, with citizen scientists contributing through the Planet Hunters project. Alexander Venner of the Max Planck Institute discovered the planet while using Kepler data, which had initially missed the planet due to its rare one-time transit.
Unlike most planets found in habitable zones, which orbit M-dwarf stars, HD 137010 b orbits a relatively calm K-dwarf star, making it a prime candidate for future observations, including the Terra Hunting Experiment and the PLATO telescope.
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