Closest Super Earth discovered by NASA satellite: Does it sustain life?

A new Super Earth has been found out by a NASA satellite. The planet has been named GJ 357 d and is located 31 light-years away from earth. This planet marks the first potentially habitable zone outside of our solar system. The findings were made by NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite(TESS).

They were able to characterize the planet to be much more massive than our earth, 22% to be exact. Lisa Kaltenegger, associate professor of Astronomy at Cornell University was able to provide insights on earth’s most possible twin.

“With a thick atmosphere, the planet GJ 357d could maintain liquid water on its surface like Earth, and we could pick out signs of life with telescopes that will soon be online,” she said.

Last February, the TESS satellite found out that dwarf sun Gj 357 dimmed ever so slightly ever 3.9 days, evidence of a transiting planet moving around it.

Astronomers think that this planet might be able to host life as it orbits the dwarf star ever 55.7 days at a distancer of one-fifth of Earth’s distance from the sun.

“If GJ 357 d were to show signs of life, it would be at the top of everyone’s travel list– and we could answer a 1000-year-old question on whether we are alone in the cosmos,” Kaltnegger said.

Scientists are keeping up their research and an exo-model is being made to find out whether or not the planet would be able to harbor life on it. If it does, then we are in for a treat as we will get another place where civilization could go and settle. 31 light-years is a very far distance. Covering it will take more than a lifetime. However, with developing technologies, one thing can be said for sure: ‘Nothing is impossible’.

What are your views on the Super Earth found out by NASA’s TEES team? Comment down below.