TOI-715, a Star Older Than the Sun, Discovered to Have a Habitable Zone Planet
A star located 137 light-years away from Earth has been found to be older than the sun and has a habitable zone planet orbiting around it. The star, known as TOI-715, is classified as an M dwarf star and was recently discovered by the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) to have a habitable zone planet with an orbital period of 19.3 days.
TOI-715 is an ordinary red dwarf star with a mass and radius about one-quarter of the sun, but its age is estimated to be approximately 6.6 billion years old, making it older than the sun. Recently, astronomers from the University of Birmingham utilized data from TESS and found that TOI-715 has a super Earth known as TOI-715b and another smaller Earth-like planet candidate called TOI-715c.
TOI-715b, the super Earth, is relatively close to the star with a radius of about 1.55 times that of the Earth. It takes only 19 days to orbit its parent star, which is a red dwarf and inherently dimmer than the sun. Despite this, TOI-715b is still within the habitable zone, allowing for the potential maintenance of liquid water on its surface.
The discovery of these planets provides valuable information about exoplanets, photoevaporation, and the distribution properties of planets around red dwarfs. Additionally, the potential existence of TOI-715c, if confirmed, would make it the smallest habitable zone planet discovered by the TESS satellite so far.
Astronomers are eagerly anticipating the follow-up observations of the Webb Space Telescope. This advanced telescope is expected to revolutionize the study of exoplanet atmospheres by providing detailed information about their compositions and characteristics.
As the search for habitable exoplanets continues, the discovery of TOI-715b and the potential existence of TOI-715c represent significant milestones in our exploration of the cosmos. With the advancement of technology and scientific research, astronomers are poised to gain further insights into the mysteries of our universe.
(Image source: NASA)