Just 13 light-years away from our solar system, a red dwarf star is speeding away from Earth, accompanied by a planet that could be a giant version of our own Earth.
According to Space.com, one of the two planets orbiting the Kapteyn red dwarf is five times larger than Earth and is twice as old, located in a zone that could support life.
Simulation of the two rocky planets of Kapteyn – (Image: NASA)
This planet is the closest one to fall within the habitable zone where liquid water can exist, a prerequisite for life to thrive.
The red dwarf star, named after a Dutch astronomer who discovered it in the 19th century, is a common type of star found in our galaxy.
While the surface temperature of our Sun is about 5,500 degrees Celsius, Kapteyn’s surface temperature hovers around 3,220 degrees Celsius. It was formed shortly after the universe began 13.8 billion years ago, meaning this red dwarf is considered ancient.
Kapteyn and similar primitive stars are located in a luminous ring just outside the central border of the Milky Way galaxy and are currently moving away from Earth at a speed of 245 km/s.
Recently, 20 astronomers from three continents collaborated to analyze data collected over a decade from three giant telescopes, leading to the discovery of two rocky planets orbiting Kapteyn, named Kapteyn b and c, which have orbital periods of 48 and 120 days, respectively.
