Azernews.Az

By Alimat Aliyeva

Astronomers have discovered a new Earth-sized planet located 146 light-years from our solar system. The planet, named HD 137010 b, orbits a Sun-like star and could potentially be studied in detail by future space telescopes, Azernews reports.

The discovery was made using data collected in 2017 as part of NASA’s Kepler Space Telescope K2 mission and was analyzed by an international team of researchers led by Alexander Wenner of the University of Southern Queensland (USQ).

HD 137010 b is estimated to be about 6% larger than Earth and completes an orbit around its star in approximately 355 days. While its surface temperature may be closer to Mars, potentially dropping below -70°C, there is an estimated 50% chance that it lies within the habitable zone of its star, where liquid water could exist.

“What’s particularly exciting about this Earth-sized planet is how close its star is—only 150 light-years away from our solar system,” said study co-author Chelsea Huang. She noted that its proximity makes it a promising target for future telescopes designed to study exoplanets in detail. “The next closest Earth-like planet around a Sun-like star is about four times farther away and 20 times dimmer than Kepler-186f, which is also in the habitable zone,” she added.

The initial faint signal suggesting the presence of the planet was detected by a team of scientists, including Wenner. “When I was in high school, I participated in a science project called Planet Hunters, and that experience shaped my path into research,” he said.

Looking ahead, Wenner emphasized that future NASA missions capable of directly imaging Earth-like planets may be able to capture detailed images of HD 137010 b, potentially revealing its atmosphere, surface conditions, and even signs of habitability.