(CNN) Scientists have discovered an exoplanet located 90 light-years from Earth with an intriguing atmosphere -- one that could contain water clouds.
Exoplanets are planets located outside of our solar system. This exoplanet, called TOI-1231 b, completes a full orbit around its star every 24 Earth days.
It orbits a red, or M-type, dwarf star, known as NLTT 24399, that is smaller and dimmer than stars like our sun.
The discovery of the planet was detailed in a new study that will be published in a future issue of The Astronomical Journal.
"Even though TOI 1231 b is eight times closer to its star than the Earth is to the Sun, its temperature is similar to that of Earth, thanks to its cooler and less bright host star," said study coauthor Diana Dragomir, an assistant professor in the University of New Mexico's department of physics and astronomy, in a statement.
elonmuskfan85 on June 21st, 2021 at 19:49 UTC »
It's a gaseous planet, not rocky, for the homies who don't want to read the article
beachbbqlover on June 21st, 2021 at 18:29 UTC »
Venus has carbon dioxide and separately is in the right zone it could support life (if it didn't have so much CO2)
But it doesn't.
Instead, it's a 480C 92atm hellscape. But still, the more of these we find the more likely we are to find a good one.
Northernfrog on June 21st, 2021 at 18:01 UTC »
At our current speeds we can get there in just under 3 million years.