According to the researchers, in the neighboring solar system, in the habitable zone of the star Alpha Centauri A, there may be an exoplanet with conditions suitable for life.
The discovered new world is located 4.37 light years from our planet. The observed body revolves around the star Proxima Centauri, which belongs to the star system Alpha Centauri.
The planet was named Proxima b. After some modeling, experts came to the conclusion that water on the body can remain in a liquid state. Whether there is even a primitive life on it is a mystery.
This point is a big question, given that the parent star is a red dwarf. These objects are dim and extremely small. They often flare up, making it difficult for planets to maintain their atmosphere.
Two stars out of three in Alpha Centauri are like the Sun. Alpha Centauri A may well have a planet that is at the optimal distance for the formation of suitable habitat conditions on it.
The experts obtained the thermal imprint of the planet. According to thermal imprint, it was possible to establish that the body is identical in size to Neptune. The distance between the star and Proxima b is 1-2 astronomical units. 1 a. e. – it’s like from the Earth to the Sun (150 million km).
