Archive · 27 Jul 2025
Scientists Discover Habitable Super-Earth 35 Light-Years Away
Scientists have found a new planet called L 98-59 f, which is like a bigger version of Earth.
It's orbiting a star 35 light-years away.
What makes this planet special is that it is in the 'Goldilocks zone' where it could have water, which is important for life.
It's so big that scientists called it super-Earth, and it's likely that there could be water on its surface.
Future telescopes, like the James Webb Space Telescope, might be able to tell us more by looking at its atmosphere.
Scientists confirmed a fifth planet, L 98-59 f, in the L 98-59 star system.
The exoplanet is located in the habitable zone, where liquid water could exist.
L 98-59 f has a minimum mass 2.8 times that of Earth and is classified as a super-Earth.
The L 98-59 system is located 35 light-years away from Earth.
The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) may be able to detect water vapor or biosignatures on L 98-59 f.
- Who
- A team of scientists led by the Trottier Institute for Research on Exoplanets (IREx) at the Universite de Montreal.
- What
- Discovery of exoplanet L 98-59 f in the habitable zone.
- When
- The findings are reported in research that will appear in The Astronomical Journal.
- Where
- In the L 98-59 star system, 35 light-years from Earth.
- Why
- To find and study potentially habitable worlds, and to understand the composition and formation of super-Earths.
- Planet Name
- L 98-59 f
- Star System
- L 98-59
- Distance from Earth
- 35 light-years
- Planet Type
- Super-Earth
- Minimum Mass
- 2.8 times Earth's mass
- Orbital Characteristics
- Almost perfectly circular orbit
- Habitable Zone
- Yes
