Astronomers have discovered a new exoplanet located in the habitable zone of its star

Astronomers have been observing stars for many years to better understand their composition, but also to discover new exoplanets. And recently, a study published in Astronomy & Astrophysics confirmed the presence of two new exoplanets orbiting GJ 887, and one of them would be located in its habitable zone.

It is important to note that GJ 887 is a red dwarf located approximately 10.7 light-years from Earth. Although it remains mysterious, several studies have already been conducted in the past, revealing the presence of three exoplanets. However, thanks to measurements taken by the HARPS and ESPRESSO spectrographs, the presence of two additional exoplanets orbiting this star has been confirmed.

In addition, by combining these data with photometric data from the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) and the All-Sky Automated Survey, they discovered that the last planet, named GJ 887 d, has an orbital period of 50.8 days. And that's not all, because it is located in the habitable zone. However, although its mass would be six times greater than that of Earth, which would make it a super-Earth, scientists believe that it could be a rocky planet or a planet covered by an ocean.

As a result, further studies and observations are needed to confirm these results and discover new information about this planetary system. This could also provide answers to certain questions about the existence of life elsewhere in the universe.