A team led by astronomer Diana Kossakowski of the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy has found a rocky planet in the habitable zone of a red dwarf star, making it a prime candidate for the search for life.

This exoplanet has unique characteristics that make it of particular interest to astronomers. Specifically, it orbits its host red dwarf star in a tight 15.6-day orbit and is located at a distance of approximately 1/15th that between the Sun and Earth. However, due to the comparatively lower output of the red dwarf star, estimated to be around 65% of that of the Sun, the planet’s habitable zone is smaller. Additionally, the planet is tidally locked, which results in one side of the planet being in perpetual daylight.

According to computer models, the planet may have a surface temperature of approximately +13 degrees Celsius, which falls within the range suitable for the existence of liquid water. Additionally, it is believed that the planet could have an atmosphere. These findings, if confirmed, could provide valuable insight into the potential habitability of these types of exoplanets that orbit red dwarf stars.

The article has all of the details, including a diagram of what the planet’s orbit looks like:

https://phys.org/news/2023-02-astronomers-rare-earth-mass-rocky-planet.html