A new study has found that two Earth-size planets orbiting a nearby star. These exoplanets are rocky in nature and this strongly suggests that they might be habitable, according to the researchers.
Based on the study findings, the researchers have concluded that the there is a possibility of the atmosphere of these planets to range from vanishingly thin, like that of Mars, to highly dense, like that of Venus. In fact, it could also be comfortable like that of Earth.
The discovery of three Earth-sized planets took place in May 2016. The team found that the three exoplanets orbited around a cold, dim and a red star names TRAPPIST-1. This star is located far away in the constellation Aquarius, which is around 39 light years away from Earth.
The separate research conducted previously discovered that TRAPPIST-1 is 20 times dimmer than the star in the solar system, the sun. In addition, it is half as warm as the sun, about one-eighth of its width and one-twelfth of its mass. This makes it barely larger in diameter than the giant gaseous planet of the solar system, Jupiter.
According to the researchers, stars like TRAPPIST-1 are the first place that should be scrutinized while looking for any signs of life in the universe. This is because they may be the only places in the universe where scientists using the current set of tools and technology can detect like on planets similar to Earth in size.
A team of researchers has previously suggested that certain regions of exoplanets orbiting TRAPPIST-1 could be habitable. This is because these exoplanets have surfaces with the right temperature to have liquid water. This is one of the main ingredients that a planet must have to harbor life just like Earth.
NASA made the recent discovery with the help of NASA's Hubble Space Telescope.
