NASA has revealed the discovery of a "super-Earth," a planet potentially capable of supporting life, located 137 light-years away.
The planet, named TOI-715 b, orbits a red dwarf star, smaller and cooler than the Sun.
It is approximately one and a half times the width of Earth and completes a full orbit in just 19 days, residing within the "conservative" habitable zone around its parent star, suggesting the possibility of liquid water on its surface.
"Several other factors would have to line up, of course, for surface water to be present, especially having a suitable atmosphere. But the conservative habitable zone - a narrower and potentially more robust definition than the broader 'optimistic' habitable zone - puts it in prime position, at least by the rough measurements made so far. The smaller planet could be only slightly larger than Earth, and also might dwell just inside the conservative habitable zone," NASA said.
The discovery was made by the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS). The planet's shorter orbit duration enables scientists to study it more effectively. NASA plans to scrutinize the planet further using the James Webb telescope, with much dependent on the planet's specific properties.
"Much will depend on the planet's other properties, including how massive it is and whether it can be classed as a 'water world' - making its atmosphere, if present, more prominent and far less difficult to detect than that of a more massive, denser and drier world, likely to hold its lower-profile atmosphere closer to the surface," NASA explained in a press release.