Right now, astrobiology nerds are divided into two different fandoms when it comes to the best exoplanet(s): the TRAPPIST-1 system versus Proxima b. While Proxima b is definitely closer to Earth, a newly discovered exoplanet gives both TRAPPer Keepers (the unofficial TRAPPIST-1 fandom) and Proxima b enthusiasts some serious competition.
Using the High Accuracy Radial velocity Planet Searcher (HARPS) at La Silla Observatory in Chile, researchers at the European Southern Observatory (ESO) have discovered that a red dwarf star — Ross 128 — has an Earth-sized world orbiting around it. The team believes the planet — Ross 128b — has a surface temperature that “may be close to that of Earth.” However, it’s still unclear where the planet lies in relation to the habitable zone, or the region in which a planet could support liquid water. A paper detailing the discovery will appear in Astronomy and Astrophysics.
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