A team of astronomers has confirmed the existence of HD 20794 d, a super-Earth orbiting a Sun-like star just 20 light-years away. This rocky planet sits within the habitable zone, raising exciting possibilities for liquid water—and even life.
A Decade-Long Mystery Finally Solved
The journey to this discovery began in 2022, when Dr. Michael Cretignier from Oxford noticed tiny shifts in starlight, suggesting a planet’s gravitational pull. However, the signal was too faint for confirmation. It took years of careful analysis, using HARPS and ESPRESSO telescopes in Chile, to separate real planetary signals from stellar noise. After two decades of data, scientists finally confirmed the planet’s existence.
A Promising Yet Unpredictable World
HD 20794 d is six times Earth’s mass and follows an elliptical orbit. This means it sometimes moves through the habitable zone—getting too hot at times but potentially just right at others.
While it’s too early to say if life exists there, future telescopes like the Extremely Large Telescope will analyze its atmosphere for biosignatures. Dr. Cretignier is optimistic: “This planet could be key to finding life beyond Earth. The future is exciting!”
