According to an article published in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics, the closest exoplanet, Proxima b, should be similar in size and properties to Earth. In addition, according to planetary scientists from Switzerland, it contains significant reserves of water, and this, in turn, increases the chances of the presence of life on this planet.
These conclusions were reached by Yann Alibert from the University of Bern (Switzerland) with his colleague William Benz while studying the potential properties of the small planet Proxima b, which was officially discovered in August this year.
The rotation of this planet takes place around a small red dwarf, its mass is presumably equal to that of the Earth, which can be said about its properties. All this prompted astronomers to believe that the planets of such stars, which make up most of the Milky Way, are quite common and, most likely, it is here that humanity will be able to discover extraterrestrial life in the future.
Over the past two years, the Kepler telescope has not been able to detect larger planets near red dwarfs. This made Alibert and Benz think about the fact that these stars are forming predominantly earth-like celestial bodies, more suitable for life than 'hot neptune' or other gas giants.
This theory has undergone practical verification, – scientists have created a computer model of a planetary 'maternity hospital' in a typical red dwarf. According to the data obtained, most of the planets originating from small stars do have a relatively small mass, and in their properties they resemble the Earth and other rocky planets. Moreover, all of them should have significant reserves of water (about 90% of their mass will fall on 'hard' rocks, and 10% on the oceans).
Thus, today scientists are confident that Proxima b is a kind of 'twin' of the Earth. However, the supposed excessive amount of water on this planet reduces the chances of the origin of life here, since a high concentration of water vapor in the atmosphere can destabilize the climate and generate a strong greenhouse effect. In the near future, astronomers intend to continue observing such celestial bodies and significantly expand the field of knowledge about such objects.
Sources: RIA
