Fiery Volcanic Exoplanet Discovered in Habitable Zone

LP 791-18 d, an Earth-sized exoplanet located approximately 90 light-years away, has been discovered by a team of scientists led by researchers at the University of Montreal. The planet is potentially hospitable to life and may be carpeted with volcanoes, undergoing volcanic outbursts as often as Jupiter’s moon Io. LP 791-18 d was found and studied using data from NASA’s TESS and the Spitzer Space Telescope. The planet is tidally locked, meaning it has one side that permanently faces its star, while the other is in continuous darkness. This, along with the significant amount of volcanic activity suspected across the planet, would enable LP 791-18 d to sustain an atmosphere and allow water to condense on its night side.