 Artist's impression of the planet Ross 128 b, with the star Ross 128 in the background. | |
| Discovery[1] | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | Xavier Bonfils |
| Discovery date | November 15, 2017 |
| Radial velocity | |
| Orbital characteristics[2] | |
| 0.049640±0.000004 AU | |
| Eccentricity | 0.21+0.09 −0.10 |
| 9.8556+0.0012 −0.0011 d | |
| Semi-amplitude | 1.41±0.14 m/s |
| Star | Ross 128 |
| Physical characteristics | |
| 1.6+1.1 −0.65 R🜨 (predicted)[3] | |
| Mass | ≥1.40±0.13 M🜨;[2] 1.8+0.56 −0.43 M🜨 (predicted)[3] |
| Temperature | 213–301 K (−60–28 °C; −76–82 °F) (equilibrium)[1] |
Ross 128 b is a confirmed Earth-sized exoplanet, likely rocky, that is orbiting near the inner edge of the habitable zone of the red dwarf star Ross 128, at a distance of around 11 light-years from Earth in the constellation of Virgo.[4] The exoplanet was found using a decade's worth of radial velocity data using the European Southern Observatory's HARPS spectrograph (High Accuracy Radial velocity Planet Searcher) at the La Silla Observatory in Chile. Ross 128 b is the nearest exoplanet around a quiet red dwarf, and is considered one of the best candidates for habitability. The planet is only 35% more massive than Earth, receives only 38% more starlight, and is expected to be a temperature suitable for liquid water to exist on the surface, if it has an atmosphere.[1]
The planet does not transit its host star, which makes atmospheric characterization very difficult, but this may be possible with the construction of larger telescopes like the James Webb Space Telescope.[1]
- ^ a b c d Bonfils, Xavier (2017). "A temperate exo-Earth around a quiet M dwarf at 3.4 parsecs". Astronomy and Astrophysics. 613: A25. arXiv:1711.06177. Bibcode:2018A&A...613A..25B. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201731973. S2CID 37148632.
- ^ a b Cite error: The named reference
Liebing2024was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ a b Cite error: The named reference
TaskerLaneuville2020was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Newfound Earth-like exoplanet a good spot to hunt for aliens. Eric Mack, CBS News. 15 November 2017.