Astronomers may have found HD 156295 b in habitable zone
Technology
Astronomers may have found a giant exoplanet, HD 156295 b, orbiting in the habitable (or just right) zone around a massive, super-bright star about 140 light-years from us.
They used a clever technique called pulsation timing, which tracks the tiny variations in the time it takes the star's light to reach us, caused by gravity from orbiting planets.
Pulsation timing promising for ESA's PLATO
HD 156295 b may be about six times more massive than Jupiter and takes about 6 years to circle its star.
If confirmed, it would be the first planet ever found in the habitable zone of such a hot star.
The research team says this shows how powerful pulsation timing can be for finding hidden worlds, especially with future missions like ESA's PLATO on the way.