Scientists find two "super-Earths" revolving around the same star. One may be suitable for life.
Two "super-Earths" that orbit the same star have been found by scientists. For life, one might be appropriate.
According to NASA, more than 5,000 exoplanets outside of our solar system were discovered in March.
According to NASA, there have only been a little more than 1,500 "super-Earth" planets discovered so far, which are planets that are larger than Earth but lighter than Neptune and Uranus.
But on Wednesday, scientists from the Universities of Liège in Belgium and Birmingham in England shared their discoveries on two worlds that are both bigger than Earth and have longer days than ours.
The planet, designated LP 890-9b, orbits its star in 2.7 days and is nearly 30% larger than Earth.
The another planet LP 890-9c is 40% larger than Earth and has an 8.5-day orbit around its star. It was later given the name SPECULOOS-2c by researchers at the University of Liège.
According to Pozuelos, the star around which the two planets orbit is over six times smaller than our sun and has a temperature that is only half that of our star.
This clarifies how LP 890-9c, which is significantly closer to its star than the Earth is to the sun, may nevertheless support the existence of life.