Nearby Habitable-Zone Super-Earth GJ 251 c Poised for Direct Imaging
UC Irvine researchers report GJ 251 c, a rocky super-Earth with a minimum mass of about 3.8 Earth masses in the habitable zone of the nearby red dwarf GJ 251 (roughly 18 light-years away). Found via two decades of radial-velocity data, it orbits in ~53.65 days and could be a prime nearby target for direct imaging with the next generation of giant ground-based telescopes, though its radius, atmosphere and true habitability remain unknown and the habitable-zone designation does not guarantee it is Earth-like due to tidal effects and stellar activity.