NASA: Two “Super Earth” planets were discovered in the nearest stellar system

The discovery of two more planets that fall into the category of “Super Earth” announced a NASA research team. What is remarkable is that the two rocky planets, which are much larger in volume than our Earth, were located in our nearest planetary system, 33 light-years away.

Scientists have ruled out the possibility of life, at least in the form in which we humans are able to know, but have expressed their excitement that the close-to-stellar distance proximity offers an excellent opportunity to conduct research and in-depth study.

One of the leaders of the research, astrophysicist Avi Sporersaid that with the new systems at their disposal, it is very likely that they will locate other stellar systems with five or six planets around small suns, “hoping that one of them is in the zone where we believe there is life.” .

Although the star HD 260655 is much colder compared to our sun, the close distance of the two planets in the red dwarf, indicates temperatures much higher, than those that can sustain life.

The planet HD 260655b has an average temperature of 816 ° Fahrenheit, ie 435.5 degrees Celsius. It completes a complete circle around its star every 2.8 days and is 1.2 times larger than Earth. Its mass is twice that of Earth and slightly denser, while it is rocky by the standards of our planet.

The planet HD 260655c has an average temperature of 543 ° Fahrenheit, ie 283.8 degrees Celsius. Its cycle around the star is completed in 5.7 days and is 1.5 times larger than the Earth. Its mass is about three times that of Earth, but less dense and it is also rocky.

Scientists consider the two planets an important opportunity to study their atmosphere, due to the brightness offered by their red dwarf star. The study will show if there are elements identical in their atmosphere with the Earth, if there is water in any form and if the composition is based on carbon, as on our planet.

So far, at least 5,000 exoplanets have been confirmed – outside our solar system – in our Milky Way galaxy, but research has focused on rocky planets resembling our Earth, Mars and Venus.