A new earth-sized planet outside the solar system has been discovered to possibly have just the right conditions to support life.
The newly discovered planet is called Ross 128b. It is named after the star that it orbits, Ross 128, which is only 11 light years away, making it one of the closest candidates for the search of extra-terrestrial life.
Based on the data that scientists have gathered, Ross 128b may have the right conditions for liquid water to exist on its surface, which in turn may suggest that life exists on the planet.
The planet is around one and a half times the size of Earth, and researchers are obtaining proof that the planet is most likely rocky like Earth.
The main difference is that the planet is very close to its star, with an entire orbit taking only 10 Earth days to complete. This means that Ross 128b is 20 times closer to its star that the Earth is to the Sun.
However, the star around which the planet revolves is also 280 times less luminous than the Sun. This means that Ross 128b is only receiving 40 percent more light that Earth does. If the planet reflects the optimal amount of light back into space, it may be conducive to the existence of liquid water.
Ross 128b isn't the closest candidate for the search of alien life. Proxima b is another rocky world that is orbiting the star Proxima Centauri, which is only 4.25 light years away. However, Proxima Centauri is a known flare star that usually blasts nearby planets with lots of radiation that can strip away their radiation.
Although Ross 128 is a Red Dwarf just like Proxima Centauri, it is a very quiet star that does not flare much at all. This makes Ross 128b very unique and very promising in terms of habitability.
