Planet discovery like a 'treasure in your own backyard'

The discovery of an Earth-like planet orbiting our nearest stellar neighbour is like science fiction coming true, says a Charlottetown amateur astronomer.

• Earth-like planet found orbiting the star next door

"It's pretty exciting in that there might be some sort of life that's on this planet," said Glen Roberts of the Charlottetown Astronomy Club.

"Alpha Centuri has been in a lot of sci-fi literature for years, and TV programs. There's always stories of life, us going to this star system, because it's the closest, or alien life coming to us. It's like having a treasure in your own backyard."

Proximabboth similar and very different to Earth

Proximab, as the planet has been labelled, is orbiting Promixa Centuri, a red dwarf associated with the Alpha Centuri system, 4.2 light years away and the closest star to our own solar system. Astronomers estimate its mass at 1.3 times Earth's, and the discovery is even more exciting because the planet is orbiting within what is known as the Goldilocks zone.

That's where it's not too hot, and not too cold, and liquid water could exist on the surface.

While that makes it similar to Earth, in many ways Proximabis very different. Promixa Centuri is a much cooler star than ours, and Proxima b's orbit is 20 times closer than Earth's. Its year is just 11 days.

Being that close to the star, it is bombarded with X-rays and ultraviolet light. It is not yet known if it has an atmosphere.

Visit possible this century

Using current space craft technology, it would take thousands of years to get to Promixab, but there are plans to build tiny probes that could potentially get there before the end of this century.

"There is a possibility that at some point in the near future we might be able to get to it," said Roberts.

In the meantime, Earth-bound and orbiting telescopes will be paying a lot of attention to Proximabin the next few years, and we can expect to hear more news about the planet.

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