Is there a possibility that the recently identified “super-Earth” possesses conditions conducive to sustaining life?

This newly found exoplanet is located at a relatively short distance, merely 137 light-years away, and orbits within a “habitable zone,” as per NASA’s observations.

Astronomers indicate that the planet, named TOI-715 b, is approximately one and a half times the diameter of Earth and revolves around a small, reddish star.

The same planetary system might also host a second, Earth-sized planet. If confirmed, this would potentially make it the smallest habitable-zone planet identified by TESS (the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite) to date, as per NASA’s statement on January 31.

Considering the super-Earth’s distance from its parent star, it falls within a conservative “habitable zone,” presenting conditions suitable for the formation of liquid water on its surface—a crucial element for supporting life, according to NASA, ABC News reported.

The agency emphasized that various factors would need to align for this potential, stating that “several other factors would have to line up, of course.”

NASA highlighted that the measurements of the habitable zone, employing a more specific and potentially robust definition than the broader “optimistic” habitable zone, position the recently discovered planet, along with the potentially smaller Earth-sized planet, in an advantageous proximity to its parent star.

Written by B.C. Begley