NASA Discovers Potentially Habitable Planet in Nearby Star System

By Emma Rathgeber

Since its launch in 2018, NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) has provided astronomers with data to further the search for small planets orbiting nearby stars Astronomers struck gold this January when they spotted TOI 700 e, an Earth-sized planet orbiting in the habitable zone of the nearby TOI 700 star system.

TOI 700 e was spotted using a common astronomical technique called the transit method. In this method, TESS observes large sectors of the sky and tracks any decreases in stellar brightness These decreases often occur when a planet passes in front of a star from our perspective, which is known as a transit. Using this method, NASA scientists discovered TOI 700 e, a world that, in many ways, is very similar to our own

This newly discovered planet is located roughly 100 light years away from Earth in the TOI 700 star system It is made up of mostly rocky terrain and is 95% the size of the Earth. What makes this planet so remarkable, however, is its location in the habitable zone of its star A star’s habitable zone denotes the range of distances from the star where liquid water can exist on a planet This fact, paired with the planet’s similar size to Earth, makes the discovery of TOI 700 e a major step in the search for Earth-like celestial neighbors

Nonetheless, TOI 700 e boasts some special properties of its own One year on this planet is equivalent to one month on Earth, as every orbit lasts 28 days. Further, this planet may be tidally locked, meaning that one side of the planet is constantly facing its star, TOI 700

TOI 700 is classified as an M dwarf star, situated in the southern constellation Dorado. While TOI 700 e has been the focus of astronomers’ attention recently, there are three other planets that orbit in this system. These planets, which have been imaginatively named TOI 700 b, c, and d, are very similar to TOI 700 e in some ways. Primarily, they share similar sizes and orbital periods. However, one of these planets, TOI 700 d, sticks out for a very specific reason: it is also located in the habitable zone of its star This makes the TOI 700 system especially unique, as it contains multiple stars in its habitable zone.

While the discovery of TOI 700 e has already provided much insight into planetary habitability, astronomers are far from finished with the TOI 700 system Due to its rarity, there will undoubtedly be continued research into this unique star system. TOI 700 and its satellites have the potential to teach us more about the possibility of life on other planets, as well as further our understanding of our own.