GJ 3378b, the new Earth-like planet discovered 25 light-years away

Astronomers from the University of California, Irvine, have discovered a new Earth-like exoplanet

The newly identified planet, named GJ 3378b, orbits a nearby star approximately 25 light-years from Earth, making it one of the closest potentially habitable worlds ever found.

The discovery of GJ 3378b has been published in The Astrophysical Journal and adds another promising candidate to the growing list of planets capable of supporting life.

Located in the habitable zone

GJ 3378b is classified as a “super-Earth” because it is about twice the size of our planet. It also orbits within the habitable zone of its host star, often referred to as the “Goldilocks zone.” This is the region where temperatures may be suitable for liquid water to exist on a planet’s surface, provided the planet has a stable atmosphere.

Researchers estimate that GJ 3378b receives around 90 per cent of the amount of stellar radiation that Earth receives from the Sun. This places it in an ideal position where temperatures could potentially support conditions similar to those needed for life.

Although the planet’s location is promising, it’s still uncertain whether GJ 3378b has an atmosphere,

Scientists explain that the planet lies close to the “cosmic shoreline,” a boundary where intense radiation from a star can gradually strip a planet’s atmosphere. Mars is believed to have experienced a similar process billions of years ago, losing much of the atmosphere it once possessed.

Without an atmosphere, liquid water would struggle to exist on the planet’s surface, greatly reducing its chances of supporting life. Determining whether GJ 3378b has retained an atmosphere will therefore be the next major challenge for astronomers.

Advanced Telescopes Made the Discovery

The discovery was made using two powerful instruments: the Habitable-zone Planet Finder on the Hobby-Eberly Telescope in Texas and the NEID Spectrometer on the WIYN Telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory in Arizona.

These highly sensitive instruments detect tiny movements in stars caused by the gravitational pull of orbiting planets, allowing astronomers to identify planets that cannot be seen directly.

Further investigation could reveal signs of life

Scientists may have to wait until the 2040s before they can study GJ 3378b in greater detail. NASA’s planned Habitable Worlds Observatory is expected to be able to directly image planets like this one and determine whether they have atmospheres.

If an atmosphere is confirmed, researchers will then search for biosignatures, which are chemical compounds that could indicate the presence of biological activity, as well as evidence of liquid water and other ingredients considered essential for life.