Astronomers discover new 'super-Earth' in our solar system's habitable zone
Astronomers just confirmed a new "super-Earth" called L 98-59 f, orbiting a small red dwarf star only 35 light-years from us.
This planet sits in the star's habitable zone—meaning it gets about as much energy from its sun as Earth does from ours—so it's a prime spot to look for signs of life.
The L 98-59 system has 5 planets
The L 98-59 system has five planets, all discovered over the last few years using NASA's TESS and other telescopes.
The inner planets are close to their star, while L 98-59 f is bigger than Earth, making it especially interesting for scientists.
Researchers can now study these planets' atmospheres
With tools like the James Webb Space Telescope, researchers can now study these planets' atmospheres for water vapor or possible signs of life.
Discoveries like this help us learn how rocky worlds form—and maybe even bring us closer to finding another planet that could support life someday.