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Planet discovery like a 'treasure in your own backyard'

[This artist’s impression shows a view of the surface of the planet Proxima b orbiting the red dwarf star Proxima Centauri. Photo: M. Kornmesser/ESO via CBC]

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

“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.”

Proxima b both similar and very different to Earth

Proxima b, 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.

[This artist’s impression shows the planet Proxima b orbiting the red dwarf star Proxima Centauri. Photo: M. Kornmesser/ESO]

While that makes it similar to Earth, in many ways Proxima b is 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 Promixa b, 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 Proxima b in the next few years, and we can expect to hear more news about the planet.