New evidence of giant gas planet around ‘Earth’s closest solar twin’
NASA astronomers find new signs of giant gas planet using James Webb Telescope
- Astronomers have found strong evidence of a giant gas planet orbiting a star in the Alpha Centauri system, located four light-years from Earth.
- If confirmed, this potential planet, detected using NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, would be the closest to Earth orbiting in the habitable zone of a sun-like star.
- Although the planet is a gas giant and unlikely to support life itself, scientists suggest its moons could potentially sustain life.
- The discovery is considered highly significant as it offers the best opportunity to gather data on planetary systems beyond our own, despite the observational challenges posed by bright stars.
- Confirmation of this planet would represent a new milestone for exoplanet imaging and challenge existing theories on how planets form and evolve in complex stellar environments.