The celestial body known as K2-3d is located 150 light-years away from Earth and may potentially harbor life.
K2-3d could be a celestial body that supports extraterrestrial life. (Image: NASA).
K2-3d possesses all the necessary components for extraterrestrial life, including a nearby bright star, perfect conditions to maintain liquid water, a warm climate, and Earth-like atmospheric conditions, according to a report by New Scientist.
The orbit of this mysterious planet is about to enter a phenomenon known as a solar eclipse with its host red dwarf star, which may help answer the question of whether this celestial body contains any form of extraterrestrial life.
NASA’s Kepler space telescope discovered K2-3d through its star. NASA plans to use the giant Hubble telescope to observe K2-3d during the 5-day eclipse event in 2017.
Dr. Bjorn Benneke from the California Institute of Technology stated that scientists hope to find a hydrogen-rich atmosphere or significant cloud coverage on this Earth-like body. These are two very important indicators of life beyond Earth.
If scientists observe signs of water molecules, methane, or ammonia in the atmosphere of K2-3d, they will have the opportunity to search for life here.
“If we see any signs, we will carefully observe it with the James Webb Space Telescope, which will replace Hubble in 2018,” Benneke said.
K2-3d is 1.5 times the mass of Earth, orbiting the red dwarf star EPIC 201367065 with a cycle of 45 days per orbit, located approximately 150 light-years away from us.
