Two Nearby Earth-Like Worlds Found in The Sweet Spot For Life to Survive

Astronomers have identified two worlds with Earth-like mass, sitting in the vicinity of a red dwarf star called GJ 1002.

There is a sweet spot between being too hot or too cold to support life. In order to be in this zone, planets must be at a distance from their star where liquid water can be found.

The red dwarf star GJ 1002 has a fraction of the mass of the sun. It's a faint star. The habitability zone is very close to the stars.

At a mere 16 light-years away from our Solar System, GJ 1002b and GJ 1002c are close to where we are, which is a good sign.

There are two space-gazing instruments that look for M dwarfs with near-IR and optical Echelle.

Instruments of great sensitivity and precision were needed to recognize the signatures of the faint light coming off GJ 1002. In order to spot the planets, the research team used a number of deep space radiation observations.

We don't know a lot about these bodies except where they are. Both GJ 1002b and GJ 1002c are close to their star and can be completed in just over 10 days.

The closer GJ 1002b and GJ 1002c are, the more detailed observations are easier to make. The next step will be to assess their atmospheres based on the light reflected and the heat they give off.

The presence of oxygen in the atmosphere of GJ 1002c could be studied with the help of the ANDES spectrograph.

A total of 5,000 exoplanets have been observed. We can see objects that are smaller and further away from Earth with the help of telescopes.

Even though these distant planets are light-years away, we are getting closer to being able to measure the chemical signatures of life.

Alejandro Surez Mascareo says that nature seems bent on showing us that Earth-like planets are very common. We now know seven in planetary systems close to the Sun.

The research was published in astronomy and astrophysics.