Super Earth Found in Habitable Zone Around Red Dwarf Star

Astronomers have discovered a super Earth orbiting within the habitable zone of a nearby red dwarf star, raising new possibilities in the search for potentially life supporting exoplanets.

Researchers from the French Institute for Research in Astrophysics and Planetology identified two exoplanets orbiting the red dwarf star Gliese 725 B. One of them, Gl 725 Bc, lies within the star’s habitable zone, the region where temperatures could allow liquid water to exist under the right conditions.

Gl 725 Bc has a mass approximately 3.4 times that of Earth and completes an orbit around its host star every 38 days. The planet receives roughly the same amount of stellar energy that Mars receives from the Sun. Scientists say that if the planet has a solid surface and retains water, it could theoretically sustain liquid water, making it a potentially habitable world.

The team also identified a second candidate planet in the system, known as Gl 725 Bb, which orbits the star in just 4.8 days. However, current data remain insufficient to definitively confirm its existence, and it is classified as a candidate exoplanet.

The discovery was made using the SPIRou instrument mounted on a telescope at Mauna Kea in Hawaii. Researchers detected subtle variations in the star’s motion caused by the gravitational pull of orbiting planets. To enhance measurement precision and minimize interference from Earth’s atmosphere, scientists developed a specialized correction system known as Wapiti.

Although Gl 725 Bc’s orbital configuration does not allow scientists to study it through traditional transit observations, its relative proximity to Earth makes it an important target for future space missions.

One proposed project, the LIFE space telescope, is expected to analyze infrared radiation emitted from exoplanet atmospheres directly. Such observations could search for signs of water vapor and other chemical markers that may indicate conditions suitable for life.

The discovery adds to the growing list of exoplanets found within habitable zones and highlights the continued advancement of space based and ground based technologies in the global search for Earth like worlds beyond our Solar System.