An international group of astrophysicists has discovered the exoplanet LHS 1140b, which belongs to the super-earth class. It is located in the habitable zone of its star - an area where liquid water can exist on celestial bodies. According to scientists, this astronomical object is the most suitable candidate for the title of a habitable planet. This is reported on the EurekAlert! Website.
The exoplanet orbits the red dwarf LHS 1140, which emits less high-energy radiation than other similar stars. Such radiation, characteristic of young stars, can be destructive to the atmospheres of celestial bodies. However, the large size (1.4 times larger than the Earth) of the planet suggests that for millions of years an ocean of magma could exist on its surface, which saturated the gas envelope with water vapor. This state was maintained until the star passed into a quieter state.
The age of the planet, according to astrophysicists, is five billion years. Its mass is seven times the mass of the Earth, which means that LHS 1140b is a very dense astronomical object and consists of rocks and an iron core. A year on it lasts about 25 days.
Scientists believe that the discovered exoplanet is more likely to be habitable than Proxima b or TRAPPIST-1 planets. However, future research should help determine with high precision how much radiation from the red dwarf is reaching the surface of LHS 1140b.