New Planet Found That Could Support Life, Say Scientists

Photo: WAM

A team of scientists from the Trottier Institute for Research on Exoplanets at the University of Montreal has made a major discovery that could change how we see the universe. They found a planet that might have the right conditions to support life. This planet is called L 98-59 f and is located around 35 light years away from Earth.

This finding is important because the planet is located in what's known as the "habitable zone" — a special area around a star where conditions could allow liquid water to exist. And as we all know, water is very important for life as we understand it.

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How Did They Find the Planet?

The planet was discovered using NASA's TESS (Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite) space telescope. This telescope looks for new planets by watching stars and noticing when something passes in front of them. Usually, when a planet moves in front of its star, the star’s light dims just a little. This small change tells scientists that a planet is there.

However, this new planet, L 98-59 f, is different. It doesn't pass directly between its star and Earth. This means we cannot see it blocking the light of the star. So, how did the scientists detect it?

They used a different method called the radial velocity method. This technique watches how the star moves slightly because of the gravity pull from the planet. When the star moves in a certain way, it tells us that a planet is orbiting it, even if we can’t see it directly.

What Is Special About the Star L 98-59?

The planet L 98-59 f orbits a red dwarf star called L 98-59. A red dwarf star is much smaller and cooler than our Sun. Even though it is small, red dwarfs can live for billions of years, giving planets around them more time to develop life — if the conditions are right.

Before this discovery, scientists knew that the L 98-59 star had four planets orbiting it. These planets were known because they transit (or pass in front of) the star from our point of view. But the fifth planet, L 98-59 f, was hidden — until now.

A Planet in the Habitable Zone

The most exciting part of this discovery is that L 98-59 f lies in the habitable zone. This is the region around a star where temperatures are just right for liquid water to exist. If a planet is too close to the star, water would boil and disappear. If it's too far, water would freeze. But in the habitable zone, water can stay liquid — like on Earth.

Even more interesting is the fact that this planet receives about the same amount of stellar energy as Earth gets from the Sun. This means its environment might not be too hot or too cold. If it has an atmosphere and water, there’s a chance it could support some form of life.

Could Life Exist There?

Right now, we don’t know if there’s life on L 98-59 f. But what makes scientists hopeful is that all the right ingredients seem to be present:

• It is in the habitable zone

• It might have liquid water

• It gets Earth-like energy from its star

• It's part of a diverse planetary system

These factors make L 98-59 f one of the most promising planets found outside our solar system.

But it’s important to note that life doesn’t just appear because conditions are right. We still need to study the planet more to know if there are signs of water, atmosphere, or biological activity.

The Role of NASA’s TESS Telescope

NASA’s TESS telescope has been a big help in finding planets outside our solar system. TESS searches the sky for changes in brightness of stars, which tells scientists when a planet might be passing in front.

For the L 98-59 system, TESS helped scientists discover the original four planets. Later, by combining data from TESS and powerful telescopes on Earth, scientists confirmed the existence of the fifth planet, L 98-59 f.

What’s Next?

Now that L 98-59 f has been discovered, what happens next?

1. Further Observations: Scientists will study the planet more closely using other telescopes like the James Webb Space Telescope. They will try to learn more about its atmosphere, surface temperature, and other features.

2. Search for Water and Atmosphere: The next step is to find out whether this planet has water vapor or an atmosphere, which are essential for life.

3. Compare with Other Planets: Scientists will compare this planet with others in the same system to understand how planets around red dwarf stars behave.

Why This Discovery Matters

This discovery is important for many reasons:

• It gives us hope: Finding a planet that might support life makes us think that Earth is not the only special place in the universe.

• It helps science: Every new planet we find teaches us more about how planets form and how they might evolve.

• It expands our search: If life exists somewhere else, it could change our understanding of biology, science, and our place in the universe.

A Quick Summary for Students

Let’s put everything together in a simple way:

• A planet named L 98-59 f was found by scientists from the University of Montreal.

• It’s about 35 light years away from Earth.

• It’s in the habitable zone, where water can exist.

• It receives almost the same energy as Earth from its star.

• The star is a red dwarf, and the planet is one of five in the system.

• The planet was found using NASA’s TESS telescope and ground-based data.

• It might support life, but more study is needed.

This exciting discovery by scientists from the Trottier Institute for Research on Exoplanets adds another piece to the puzzle of life beyond Earth. The planet L 98-59 f is now one of the most interesting places in the universe that scientists will watch closely.