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Kepler data imply at least 300 million Earth-sized habitable-zone planets in the Milky Way
science1 month ago

Kepler data imply at least 300 million Earth-sized habitable-zone planets in the Milky Way

A comprehensive reanalysis of NASA’s Kepler data, complemented by Gaia stellar measurements, estimates that at least 300 million rocky, Earth-sized planets lie in the habitable zones of Sun-like stars in the Milky Way. The figure uses conservative assumptions (0.5–1.5 Earth radii, roughly Sun-like stars) and corrects for detection biases, making it a lower bound—the central estimate could be much higher. Kepler could only infer population statistics from a small, biased sample and cannot determine which worlds have oceans, atmospheres, or life; still, the result suggests Earth-like planets may be common, with the nearest such world expected to lie within a few tens of light-years.

via Space Daily|
#astronomy#exoplanets#habitable-zone
Earth-sized exoplanet candidate HD 137010 b hints at habitable potential, awaiting confirmation
science3 months ago

Earth-sized exoplanet candidate HD 137010 b hints at habitable potential, awaiting confirmation

Astronomers using Kepler/K2 found HD 137010 b, an Earth-sized planet candidate around a bright star about 146 light-years away; the single observed transit hints at a year-long orbit in or near the habitable zone, but confirmation requires additional observations, such as radial-velocity measurements, with future facilities like NASA’s Habitable Worlds Observatory to determine its mass and atmosphere.

via BBC Sky at Night Magazine|
#exoplanet#habitable-zone#hd137010b
Nearby Earth-Sized Exoplanet HD 137010 b Sparks Habitability Debate
space6 months ago

Nearby Earth-Sized Exoplanet HD 137010 b Sparks Habitability Debate

Astronomers analyzing Kepler data have identified HD 137010 b, a rocky, Earth-sized exoplanet orbiting a nearby K-type orange-dwarf star about 150 light-years away, with a 355-day year. Its Earth-like size and orbit make it a compelling habitability candidate, potentially aided by a CO2-rich atmosphere, but the planet’s temperature is expected to be very cold and only a single transit was observed. Follow-up observations—ideally three transits—are needed to confirm its existence and assess habitability, especially given potential tidal locking around cooler stars.

via Futurism|
#exoplanet#habitable-zone#hd-137010-b
Ice-Cold Earth-Sized Exoplanet in Habitable Zone Sparks Debate
science6 months ago

Ice-Cold Earth-Sized Exoplanet in Habitable Zone Sparks Debate

Astronomers identify HD-137010 b, an Earth-sized exoplanet about 1.2 times Earth’s mass in a 355-day orbit around a cool K-dwarf star (HD-137010). It may lie just inside its star’s habitable zone and receives less than a third of the energy Earth gets, suggesting surface temperatures around -68 to -85 °C. The planet has only a single observed transit from Kepler, so confirmation requires multiple transits and follow-up with future observatories (e.g., PLATO). A moderately CO2-rich atmosphere could allow liquid water, though a snowball climate is possible. The system could host additional planets, hinting at a solar-system-like architecture, and this discovery shows temperate, Earth-sized worlds around Sun-like stars can be detected via single transits; but further observations are needed to confirm HD-137010 b’s status.

via ScienceAlert|
#astronomy#exoplanets#habitable-zone
Distant 'cold Earth' candidate HD 137010b teeters on the edge of its star's habitable zone
space6 months ago

Distant 'cold Earth' candidate HD 137010b teeters on the edge of its star's habitable zone

Astronomers analyzing Kepler/K2 data have identified a possible rocky exoplanet, HD 137010b, orbiting a K-type dwarf about 146 light-years away. It is expected to be about 1.06 times the diameter of Earth and complete an orbit roughly every 355 days, receiving around 29% of the Sun-like energy Earth gets. This places it at the outer edge of the star’s habitable zone, meaning its surface could be frozen unless it has a thick atmosphere. Only one transit has been observed, so the planet’s existence and exact conditions remain unconfirmed, but future observations by missions such as CHEOPS, TESS, PLATO, and JWST could help determine its reality and assess any atmosphere. The discovery paper notes a 40% chance of being in the conservative HZ, a 51% chance in the optimistic HZ, and a 50/50 chance of not being in the HZ at all.

via Space|
#exoplanet#habitable-zone#hd-137010b
Citizen Scientist Discovers Earth-sized Exoplanet, Paving Way for Next-Gen Telescopes to Study It
science6 months ago

Citizen Scientist Discovers Earth-sized Exoplanet, Paving Way for Next-Gen Telescopes to Study It

A citizen scientist analyzing Kepler data identified an Earth-sized exoplanet, HD 137010b, orbiting a nearby K-dwarf star HD 137010 (about 146 light-years away). The discovery, made by Alexander Venner, was noted for having been missed by automated searches and will guide upcoming telescope campaigns (ESA’s PLATO and Terra Hunting Experiment) to scrutinize a potentially habitable world.

via Good News Network|
#astronomy#citizen-science#exoplanet
science6 months ago

Earth-sized exoplanet candidate found near the habitable zone of a sun-like star

An international team led by Australian astronomers identified HD 137010 b, an Earth-sized exoplanet candidate about 146 light-years away that orbits a sun-like star near the outer edge of its habitable zone; the detection came from a single transit in archival Kepler/K2 data and the candidate has an estimated 50% chance of habitability, being roughly 6% larger than Earth.

via Ground News|
#earth-sized#exoplanet#habitable-zone
Perihelion: Earth's Closest Sun Point Doesn't Change Our Seasons
science7 months ago

Perihelion: Earth's Closest Sun Point Doesn't Change Our Seasons

In 2026, Earth reached perihelion—its closest approach to the Sun—on Jan 3 at about 91.4 million miles (147,099,894 km). The roughly 3% distance change compared with its farthest point yields negligible shifts in global temperatures; seasons are driven primarily by the tilt of Earth's axis, not distance to the Sun. Perihelion matters more for highly elliptical orbits like comets or spacecraft such as NASA's Parker Solar Probe.

via The Daily Galaxy|
#astronomy#earth-orbit#kepler
astronomy2 years ago

Elusive Exomoons: The Unpredictable Quest for Discovery

Researchers have found that the potential exomoons orbiting the exoplanets Kepler-1625b and Kepler-1708b are unlikely to be real. Detecting exomoons is extremely challenging due to their small size and distance from Earth. The analysis of millions of artificial light curves revealed that moonless scenarios better matched the observed data than exomoon scenarios. The difference in limb darkening between the Kepler and Hubble telescopes also played a role in the false positive signals. The study highlights the difficulty in detecting exomoons and suggests that only massive moons on wide orbits are likely to be detectable. Future missions like PLATO may provide more insights into exomoon discoveries.

via Universe Today|
#astronomers#astronomy#exomoons
TESS Discovers 16 Super-Earths in NASA's Exoplanet Hunt
science-and-astronomy2 years ago

TESS Discovers 16 Super-Earths in NASA's Exoplanet Hunt

NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) has potentially discovered eight new exoplanets, all of which are classified as "super-Earths." TESS uses a statistical method to analyze its data and identify anomalies that could indicate the presence of exoplanets. The Validation of Transiting Exoplanets using Statistical Tools (VaTEST) project helped confirm that these transiting events were caused by orbiting exoplanets. Six of the newly discovered exoplanets fall into the "keystone planets" category, which could provide valuable insights into the overall exoplanet population. While these super-Earths are unlikely to be habitable due to their close proximity to their host stars, further study of them could help scientists understand the radius valley concept and the potential for life on other exoplanets.

via Space.com|
#exoplanets#kepler#nasa
"NASA's Kepler Discovers Scorching Seven-Planet System in Old Data"
astronomy2 years ago

"NASA's Kepler Discovers Scorching Seven-Planet System in Old Data"

NASA's Kepler space telescope has revealed a scorching seven-planet system called Kepler-385, where each planet receives more radiant heat from its host star per area than any planet in our solar system. This system is one of the few known to contain more than six verified planets or planet candidates. The new Kepler catalog includes almost 4,400 planet candidates, providing accurate information about each system and enabling astronomers to learn more about their characteristics. The catalog uses improved measurements of stellar properties and reveals that stars hosting multiple transiting planets typically have more circular orbits.

via Phys.org|
#astronomy#exoplanets#kepler