A recent discovery by planet hunters using the TESS (Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite) has unveiled a new exoplanet, named TOI 700 e, located around 100 light years away in the constellation Aquarius. The exoplanet is approximately the same size as Earth and is likely rocky. It takes 28 days to orbit its star, a cool red dwarf named TOI 700.
What makes this discovery particularly interesting is that TOI 700 e is located in the “habitable zone” around its star. This is the region where the temperature is just right for liquid water to exist on the surface of the planet. This means that the planet has the potential to support life as we know it.
This discovery is exciting because it is one of the few systems found to have multiple, small planets in the habitable zone. This makes the TOI 700 system a prime target for further study. The researchers also noted that this discovery shows how TESS is helping to find smaller and smaller planets.
The habitable zone is the region around a star where the temperature is just right for liquid water to exist on the surface of a planet. This is considered to be the most crucial factor in determining whether a planet can support life. If a planet is too close to its star, any water on its surface would evaporate. If it is too far, it would freeze. The habitable zone is based on what we see in our own solar system, with Earth being in the perfect location to support life while Mars is too cold and Venus is too hot.