Researchers have identified HD 63433d, an Earth-sized planet closer and younger than any other Earth-sized world previously discovered. The search for planetary life extends beyond the exploration of other worlds through robots. Powerful terrestrial and space telescopes have recently allowed a team of astronomers to discover this uniquely young and hot planet that is closer to Earth than any other Earth-sized planet identified thus far. This allows scientists to study how planets evolve close to a star like our sun.
Astronomers Melinda Soares-Furtado and Benjamin Capistrant, from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the University of Florida, recently published a study in The Astronomical Journal describing the planet. The new planet, HD 63433d, is so close to its star that it completes a solar orbit every 4.2 days, and it orbits its star for 73 years.
Observations with telescopes like the South African Large Telescope and data from NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey satellite has allowed researchers to detect HD 63433d crossing between the star and the satellite. The planet’s proximity to Earth makes it a unique location for further study. Scientists believe there is much to learn from this young, hot planet.
The star, HD 63433, is about the same size as the sun but 10 times younger. It is approximately 73 light years from our sun and is part of the constellation Ursa Major. This star and its populated system offer exciting possibilities for new methods of study in the quest for other planets among the other 100 similar stars in its young group.