ESO finds nearest potential Earth-like planet yet
The European Southern Observatory (ESO) may have discovered the nearest Earth-like planet, in the Alpha Centauri star system.
The nearest solar system to our own, Alpha Centauri could offer the best opportunity to study another Earth-like planet yet.
Professor Phillip Lubin of the Starshot Programme said: “The discovery of a possible planet around Proxima Centauri is very exciting. It makes the case of visiting nearby stellar systems even more compelling, though we know there are many exoplanets around other nearby stars and it is very likely that the Alpha Centauri system will also have planets.”
The planet, which has not yet been named, orbits Proxima Centauri – located just over four light years away. To put that into perspective, the previous nearest Earth-like planet, Kepler 452-b, was discovered last year and is located 1,400 light years away.
The number of exoplanets discovered by the Kepler Space Telescope is now in the thousands, but the number of Earth-like planets is far fewer.
Using the La Silla telescope (pictured), which is based in Chile’s Atacama Desert, scientists are reported to be planning a major announcement towards the end of the month.
Physician and NASA astronaut Dr Mae Jemison, leader of the 100 Year Starship Programme, said: “We started space exploration a thousand years ago, when we started to track the stars. We are as much a part of this Universe as any speck of stardust.”
This potential discovery has come as welcome news to the Starshot Programme, which has already launched plans to visit the Alpha Centauri system
A Starshot spacecraft, a miniature spacecraft propelled by laser, would take just 20 years to reach Proxima Centauri.
