LP 890-9, also known as SPECULOOS-2 or TOI-4306, is a high proper motion
red dwarf
''Red Dwarf'' is a British science fiction comedy franchise created by Rob Grant and Doug Naylor, which primarily consists of a television sitcom that aired on BBC Two between 1988 and 1999, and on Dave (TV channel), Dave since 2009, gaining a ...
star located away from the
Solar System
The Solar System Capitalization of the name varies. The International Astronomical Union, the authoritative body regarding astronomical nomenclature, specifies capitalizing the names of all individual astronomical objects but uses mixed "Solar ...
in the constellation of
Eridanus. The star has 12% the mass and 15% the radius of the
Sun
The Sun is the star at the center of the Solar System. It is a nearly perfect ball of hot plasma, heated to incandescence by nuclear fusion reactions in its core. The Sun radiates this energy mainly as light, ultraviolet, and infrared rad ...
, and a temperature of . As of 2022, it is the second-coolest star found to host a planetary system, after
TRAPPIST-1.
Planetary system
In 2022, two
exoplanet
An exoplanet or extrasolar planet is a planet outside the Solar System. The first possible evidence of an exoplanet was noted in 1917 but was not recognized as such. The first confirmation of detection occurred in 1992. A different planet, init ...
s were discovered in orbit around this star. The first planet, LP 890-9 b, was initially identified using
TESS Tess or TESS may refer to:
Music
* Tess (band), a Spanish pop band active from 2000 to 2005
* TESS (musician), a UK musician
Film and theatre
* ''Tess'' (1979 film), a 1979 film adaptation of '' Tess of the d'Urbervilles''
* ''Tess'' (2016 film) ...
. Further observations using
SPECULOOS
Speculoos (sold as Biscoff in the United States and the United Kingdom) is a biscuit originally manufactured in Belgium. Although the name is similar to speculaas, speculoos is a different product. The biscuits are made without the mixture of sp ...
confirmed this planet and discovered a second planet, LP 890-9 c. Both planets are likely
terrestrial planet
A terrestrial planet, telluric planet, or rocky planet, is a planet that is composed primarily of silicate rocks or metals. Within the Solar System, the terrestrial planets accepted by the IAU are the inner planets closest to the Sun: Mercury, ...
s, somewhat larger than Earth. The outer planet LP 890-9 c orbits within the
habitable zone
In astronomy and astrobiology, the circumstellar habitable zone (CHZ), or simply the habitable zone, is the range of orbits around a star within which a planetary surface can support liquid water given sufficient atmospheric pressure.J. F. Kas ...
, and is a favorable target for atmospheric characterization using
JWST.
LP 890-9 c orbits near the inner edge of the conservative habitable zone, and models differ as to whether the planet is more likely to resemble
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only astronomical object known to harbor life. While large volumes of water can be found throughout the Solar System, only Earth sustains liquid surface water. About 71% of Earth's surf ...
or
Venus
Venus is the second planet from the Sun. It is sometimes called Earth's "sister" or "twin" planet as it is almost as large and has a similar composition. As an interior planet to Earth, Venus (like Mercury) appears in Earth's sky never f ...
. Spectra from JWST should make it possible to distinguish between these two scenarios.
The planet is tidally locked. While the planet's location in the habitable zone suggests a strong possibility of an Earth-like atmosphere and climate, the planet's large size may count against its habitability. In addition, the planet is close enough to its star that powerful radiation may reduce its habitability.
See also
*
Proxima Centauri
Proxima Centauri is a small, low-mass star located away from the Sun in the southern constellation of Centaurus. Its Latin name means the 'nearest tarof Centaurus'. It was discovered in 1915 by Robert Innes and is the nearest- ...
- Closest
star
A star is an astronomical object comprising a luminous spheroid of plasma held together by its gravity. The nearest star to Earth is the Sun. Many other stars are visible to the naked eye at night, but their immense distances from Earth make ...
to the
Sun
The Sun is the star at the center of the Solar System. It is a nearly perfect ball of hot plasma, heated to incandescence by nuclear fusion reactions in its core. The Sun radiates this energy mainly as light, ultraviolet, and infrared rad ...
, a
red dwarf
''Red Dwarf'' is a British science fiction comedy franchise created by Rob Grant and Doug Naylor, which primarily consists of a television sitcom that aired on BBC Two between 1988 and 1999, and on Dave (TV channel), Dave since 2009, gaining a ...
that hosts terrestrial planets with one inside the habitable zone
*
Teegarden's Star - A nearby red dwarf with two terrestrial planets in the habitable zone, in the constellation of
Aries
*
TRAPPIST-1 - An ultra-cool red dwarf in the constellation of
Aquarius
*
Wolf 359
Wolf 359 is a red dwarf star located in the constellation Leo, near the ecliptic. At a distance of approximately 7.9 light years from Earth, it has an apparent magnitude of 13.54 and can only be seen with a large telescope. Wolf 359 is ...
- A planet hosting nearby ultra-cool red dwarf in the
Leo
Leo or Léo may refer to:
Acronyms
* Law enforcement officer
* Law enforcement organisation
* ''Louisville Eccentric Observer'', a free weekly newspaper in Louisville, Kentucky
* Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity
Arts an ...
constellation
Notes
References
{{2022 in space
Eridanus (constellation)
M-type main-sequence stars
Planetary systems with two confirmed planets
J04163114-2818526
4306