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According to The Independent, utilizing the space telescope Spitzer, scientists have confirmed the existence of a planet called HD-219134b, located approximately 21 light-years away from Earth, much closer than the 1,400 light-years distance to Kepler-452b.
Despite this seemingly close proximity, visiting HD-219134b is still deemed “impossible” for humans. It would take about 387,000 years for the New Horizons spacecraft, currently the fastest at 58,000 km/h, to reach HD-219134b.
Moreover, unlike Kepler-452b, HD-219134b, although more similar to Earth, orbits too closely to its star, resulting in its surface being extremely hot and inhospitable for life.
Directly observing HD-219134b from Earth using telescopes is not feasible. Nevertheless, its host star is visible to the naked eye and is situated in the Cygnus constellation, near the North Star.
Nevertheless, the “proximity” of HD-219134b to Earth is expected to greatly benefit scientists keen on studying the planet using space telescopes.
Initial observations indicate that HD-219134b is roughly 4.5 times heavier than Earth, about 1.6 times larger, and takes only three days to orbit its star. Its surface is believed to be rocky like Earth’s, yet without ice and gas.
Scientist Michael Werner, associated with the Spitzer project, stated, “This planet will be the most extensively studied planet over the past decade.”
This is because, “Planets that transit their stars are even more valuable than gold, as they can provide a wealth of information for research purposes.”
Hence, by tracking the planet as it transits its star, scientists can monitor changes in the reflected light containing information about chemicals present on the planet.
Additionally, HD-219134b is an ideal target for observation by the James Webb Space Telescope, set to launch into space in 2018.
The James Webb Space Telescope is a cutting-edge instrument among the latest generation of space telescopes and is anticipated to succeed the Hubble Space Telescope.
With the capability to observe planets and objects located far beyond Earth in unprecedented detail, the James Webb Space Telescope marks a new era in astronomical exploration.