Astronomers Discover Potentially Habitable Exoplanet 16 Light-Years Away

Scientists have reported the discovery of an Earth-like exoplanet orbiting in the habitable zone of the dwarf star Gliese 832.

Artistic representation of the exoplanet Gliese 832 c. Image credit: PHL / UPR Arecibo / NASA Hubble / Stellarium.

Gliese 832 is a red dwarf star located in the constellation Grus, roughly 16 light-years away. This star is already known to harbor Gliese 832 b, a gas giant discovered in 2009.

The newly found alien world, named Gliese 832 c, has an orbital period of 36 days, a mass five times that of Earth’s. According to the astronomers, it receives about the same average energy as Earth does from the Sun.

“If the planet has a similar atmosphere to Earth it may be possible for life to survive, although seasonal shifts would be extreme,” explained Dr Chris Tinney from the University of New South Wales, who is a co-author of the study published in the Astrophysical Journal.

“However, given the large mass of the planet, it seems likely that it would possess a massive atmosphere, which may well render the planet inhospitable. A denser atmosphere would trap heat and could make it more like a super-Venus and too hot for life,” he said.