Astronomers Identify Earth-Sized Exoplanet Candidate HD 137010 b
Scientists have discovered HD 137010 b, a potential Earth-sized exoplanet orbiting a Sun-like star 146 light-years away, with conditions possibly colder than Mars.
Astronomers have identified a potential Earth-sized exoplanet, HD 137010 b, orbiting a Sun-like star approximately 146 light-years from Earth. The candidate planet, detected through data from NASA's Kepler Space Telescope, is estimated to be about 6% larger than Earth and completes an orbit around its host star in approximately 355 days.
Despite its Earth-like size and orbit, HD 137010 b receives only about 29% of the sunlight that Earth does, placing it near the outer edge of its star's habitable zone. This reduced solar input suggests surface temperatures potentially around minus 68 degrees Celsius (minus 90 degrees Fahrenheit), colder than Mars. However, if the planet possesses an atmosphere rich in carbon dioxide, it could retain more heat, possibly allowing for liquid water on its surface.
The discovery was made by an international team analyzing archival data from the Kepler Space Telescope's K2 mission. The detection is based on a single 10-hour transit observed in 2017, indicating the need for further observations to confirm the planet's existence. Future missions, such as NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) and the European Space Agency's CHaracterising ExOPlanets Satellite (CHEOPS), may provide additional data to verify this finding.