Astronomers Identify Earth-Sized Planet Candidate 146 Light-Years Away

An international team of astronomers has identified a candidate Earth-sized planet, HD 137010 b, situated approximately 146 light-years from Earth. The discovery was made using data from NASA's Kepler Space Telescope's K2 mission, collected in 2017.

HD 137010 b is estimated to be about 6% larger than Earth and completes an orbit around its Sun-like star in approximately 355 days. The planet's surface temperature is projected to be similar to that of Mars, potentially dropping below -70°C.

Dr. Chelsea Huang, a researcher at the University of Southern Queensland, highlighted the significance of the planet's proximity:

"What's very exciting about this particular Earth-sized planet is that its star is only [about] 150 light-years away from our solar system."

The initial detection of the planet was made by a team of citizen scientists, including Dr. Alexander Venner, who led the research team. Reflecting on his early involvement, Dr. Venner stated:

"I contributed to this citizen science project called Planet Hunters back when I was in secondary school, and it was a big part of how I got into research."

Further observations are required to confirm HD 137010 b's status as a planet and to assess its potential habitability.