Both planets orbit red dwarf stars in their habitable zones, where liquid water could exist.
Two newly discovered exoplanets, GJ 3378b and GJ 251 c, have captured the attention of astronomers as potential candidates for hosting life. Located 25 and 18 light-years from Earth, respectively, these rocky worlds orbit red dwarf stars in their habitable zones, where temperatures could allow liquid water to exist.
GJ 3378b, identified by researchers led by Paul Robertson of the University of California, Irvine, is a super-Earth with a minimum mass 2.1 times that of Earth. It orbits a red dwarf star in the constellation Camelopardalis, receiving about 90% of the starlight Earth gets from the Sun. It’s one of our closest cosmic neighbors, Robertson said, emphasizing that while 25 light-years seems vast, it is relatively close in galactic terms. The planet was detected using the radial velocity method, which tracks gravitational tugs on its host star.
Exciting’ Earth-Like Planet Found Close To The Solar System
Meanwhile, GJ 251 c, discovered by a team including multiple telescopes to confirm the planet’s existence around a red dwarf star named GJ 251, lies 18 light-years away in the constellation Canis Minor. This super-Earth has an estimated mass 2.5 times Earth’s and orbits its red dwarf star in a stable, temperate range.
Methods and Mysteries
Both planets were found using the radial velocity method, a technique that detects subtle stellar wobbles caused by orbiting planets. For GJ 3378b, data from the Hobby-Eberly Telescope and the WIYN Telescope confirmed its existence, while GJ 251 c’s discovery relied on global observatories.
New ‘Super-Earth’ just 18 light-years away sparks hope for
NASA’s planned Habitable Worlds Observatory, set for the 2040s, aims to image nearby exoplanets like GJ 3378b to study their atmospheres. Meanwhile, the JWST and the Extremely Large Telescope (ELT) could soon provide data on atmospheric composition.
The discovery of GJ 3378b was published in The Astrophysical Journal, while GJ 251 c’s findings were detailed in The Astronomical Journal. Both planets were detected using the radial velocity method, with GJ 3378b’s data gathered from the Hobby-Eberly Telescope and the WIYN Telescope, and GJ 251 c’s from global observatories.
Our mantra is ‘follow the water,’
said Robertson. It’s the one thing every known living thing on Earth needs, so that’s the first thing we look for when trying to find environments that could sustain life.
However, whether GJ 3378b has an atmosphere capable of supporting stable surface conditions remains to be determined. Mars is believed to have experienced a similar process billions of years ago, highlighting the delicate balance required for habitability.
