Scientists believe that this planet’s dense atmosphere may contain water or methane gas. Image: DANA BERRY This planet is named GJ 1132b, which is 1.4 times the size of Earth and located 39 light-years away.
Illustrative image.
In a study published in the Astronomical Journal, scientists revealed that GJ 1132b is enveloped by a thick layer containing water, methane, or both. They refer to this planet as a “super Earth.”
“There is a possibility that GJ 1132b is a ‘waterworld’ with a hot atmosphere,” said Dr. John Southworth, a leading researcher from Keele University.
However, due to its surface temperature reaching up to 370 degrees Celsius, it is unlikely for any form of life to exist on GJ 1132b.
Nevertheless, according to BBC on April 7th, the discovery of an atmosphere around GJ 1132b marks an important step in the quest for extraterrestrial life beyond our Solar System by scientists.
GJ 1132b was initially detected in 2015 and is situated in the Vela constellation in the southern hemisphere.
Despite its similar size to Earth, it orbits a smaller, cooler, and dimmer star compared to our Sun.