Recently, an international group of astronomers published the largest collection of observations, a list of discovered exoplanets. The study was carried out using the radial velocity method. Scientists have demonstrated how similar observations can be used to 'hunt' supposedly habitable planets.
According to an article published in the journal The Astronomical, more than 100 potential exoplanets have been discovered using this method, including one orbiting the fourth star closest to our solar system, which is about 8.1 light years from Earth, which relatively close by cosmic standards.
It turned out that this one of the most suitable candidates for Earth's twins, the planet orbits a star called GJ 411, also known as Laland 21185. The mass of the star is only about 40 percent of the mass of the Sun, and the planet has a very short orbital period of just under 10 days. This finding confirms a trend that is inherent in the general population of discovered exoplanets: the smallest planets are in the orbits of the smallest stars.
'It is much more interesting to look at the stars closest to us knowing that planets revolve in their orbits. This is something that astronomers were not convinced of just five years ago. The discovery of these new planets helps us to better understand the processes of formation of planetary systems, and also sets interesting goals for us in the form of finding Earth twins, 'said Mikko Tuomi, author of the study.
Sources: phys
