In the quest to explore the universe and search for habitable planets, scientists have discovered a remarkable planet named Gliese 667C c.
This planet is located 22 light-years away from Earth, orbits a red dwarf star, and is believed to have many similarities with Earth, sparking hope of finding a “super-Earth” in space.
Guillem Anglada-Escudé, an astronomer from the University of Göttingen in Germany, along with colleagues, analyzed data about a star called GJ 667Cc from the Southern European Observatory. This star is a dwarf located 22 light-years from Earth with a surface temperature lower than that of the Sun.
Parameters of the planet GJ 667Cc.
The research team discovered at least three planets orbiting the star, which belongs to the Gliese galaxy group. Gliese 667Cc, one of the exoplanets, has a mass 3.9 times that of Earth and is classified as a super-Earth.
GJ 667Cc completes an orbit around its star in 28.15 days, meaning its year is just under one month in Earth time. Its mass is at least 4.5 times that of Earth.
The planet Gliese 667C c is situated approximately 15 million kilometers from its host star, which is about 1/10 the distance from Earth to the Sun. Although this planet cannot be observed directly with the naked eye, scientists have utilized giant telescopes and light analysis techniques to determine its location and characteristics. Notably, they calculated that Gliese 667C c has a “Earth Similarity Index” (δ) of 0.82, suggesting that this planet shares many traits with ours and has the potential for a habitable environment.
One of the most crucial factors in assessing the possibility of life on a planet is the presence of liquid water. Gliese 667C c lies within the “habitable zone” of the red dwarf star it orbits. The distance from Gliese 667C c to its host star is considered suitable for water to exist in liquid form on its surface—a vital element for sustaining life.
The habitable zone of a red dwarf like Gliese 667 typically ranges from 0.1 AU to 0.4 AU (1 AU is approximately the distance from Earth to the Sun). This implies that if this planet has a suitable atmosphere, water could exist on its surface, facilitating the development of life.
This planet may experience prolonged day and night cycles.
However, Gliese 667C c is not entirely a potential “paradise”. Its red dwarf star emits much weaker light than the Sun, primarily in the red and infrared spectrum. This could present challenges regarding temperature on the planet. The red dwarf may cause significant temperature fluctuations on Gliese 667C c’s surface, with regions that could be extremely hot or very cold.
Additionally, due to the possibility of Gliese 667C c being tidally locked with its host star, similar to how our Moon always shows one face to Earth, this planet could experience prolonged day and night cycles. This means that one half of the planet would be subjected to continuous sunlight for months, while the other half remains in darkness. This temperature disparity could create a harsh environment, making it difficult for life to be sustained.
Another challenge for the potential habitability of Gliese 667C c is the radiation from the red dwarf star. Scientists have warned that X-ray activity from this star can be quite intense. If Gliese 667C c is tidally locked, only half of the planet would be continuously exposed to X-ray radiation, posing lethal risks to any life that might exist there.
