Astronomers find potentially habitable ‘super-Earth’ exoplanet

Description

Astronomers have discovered three potential “super-Earth” exoplanets orbiting a relatively nearby orange dwarf star, marking an important development in the search for habitable planets.

This groundbreaking discovery was made by an international team of researchers, including Dr Ancy Anna John, a post-doctoral researcher from the School of Physics and Astronomy at the University of St Andrews.

The exoplanets are orbiting Star HD 48948, located approximately 55 light-years from Earth. These planets revolve around their host star in 7, 38, and 151 Earth days, respectively. Notably, the outermost exoplanet candidate resides in the habitable zone of its host star, where conditions could allow liquid water to exist without boiling or freezing. This region, often referred to as the Goldilocks zone, is considered ideal for potentially supporting life.