Nearby planet is a target in search for life

Astronomers have found a cool, Earth-sized planet that’s relatively close to our Solar System.

The properties of this newly discovered planet – called Ross 128 b – make it a prime target in the search for life elsewhere in the cosmos.

At just 11 light-years away, it’s the second closest exoplanet of its kind to Earth.

But the closest one, known as Proxima b, looks to be less hospitable for life.

Found in 2016, it orbits the star Proxima Centauri, which is known to be a rather active “red dwarf” star. This means that powerful eruptions of charged particles periodically batter Proxima b with harmful radiation.

The new planet, Ross 128 b, orbits a star that’s not dissimilar to Proxima Centauri (it’s also a red dwarf), but is significantly less active.

Co-discoverer Nicola Astudillo-Defru from the Geneva Observatory in Switzerland told BBC News: “Just because Proxima Centauri blasts its planet with strong flares and high energy radiation, yes, I think Ross 128 is much more comfortable for the development of life.

“But we still need to know what the atmosphere of Ross 128 b is like. Depending on its composition and the reflectivity of its clouds, the exoplanet may be life friendly with liquid water as the Earth, or sterile like Venus.”