N※N

Earth-Like Exoplanet TOI-1698 b Found in Red Dwarf's Habitable Zone

  //house-home.news-articles.net/content/2025/11/1 .. -1698-b-found-in-red-dwarf-s-habitable-zone.html
  Published in House and Home on Friday, November 14th 2025 at 6:58 GMT by BBC

• 🞛 This publication is a summary or evaluation of another publication
• 🞛 This publication contains editorial commentary or bias from the source

2025-11-14 179 x 224 / 10650 Bytes

2025-11-14 179 x 224 / 10149 Bytes

2025-11-14 179 x 224 / 5750 Bytes

2025-11-14 224 x 224 / 10572 Bytes

A New Window on Habitability: Scientists Spot an Earth‑like Exoplanet in the Sweet Spot of a Cool Red Dwarf

The discovery, announced in a BBC News feature linked to a team of astronomers using the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) and the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), marks the latest milestone in humanity’s search for worlds that could support life.

The Big Picture

For decades, astronomers have been hunting for planets beyond our solar system, or “exoplanets.” While thousands of such bodies have been confirmed, the ultimate goal has always been to find a world that resembles Earth in size, temperature, and the presence of liquid water – the so‑called “habitable zone.” The BBC article opens with the headline “New exoplanet in habitable zone could host life, says astronomers” and immediately sets the stage: a newly detected planet orbiting a red dwarf star 30 light‑years from Earth is now considered a top candidate for future study.

Red dwarfs – small, cool stars that make up about 75% of the stars in the Milky Way – have become prime targets for exoplanet hunters because their low luminosity means that a planet in their habitable zone orbits much closer to the star, making transits (the tiny dimming of the star’s light when a planet passes in front) easier to detect. However, red dwarfs also flare, which can strip away atmospheres and make the environment hostile for life as we know it. That’s why every new planet found around such a star is examined carefully for signs that it might have retained a stable, protective atmosphere.

How the Planet Was Found

The story explains that the planet, designated TOI‑1698 b (for “TESS Object of Interest”), was first flagged by the TESS mission in 2021. TESS continuously surveys bright stars for the tell‑tale dips in brightness that indicate a planet passing in front. The TOI‑1698 system is a dim, 0.6‑solar‑mass red dwarf located in the constellation Ursa Major.

After a preliminary detection, astronomers from the European Southern Observatory (ESO) and NASA’s Keck Observatory followed up with radial‑velocity measurements, confirming that the dip in light was indeed caused by a planet and not a stellar companion or noise. The radial‑velocity data also allowed scientists to estimate the planet’s mass, which turns out to be about 1.2 times the mass of Earth – making it a “super‑Earth” in terms of size, but still in the same mass range as our own world.

Once the planet’s orbit and mass were pinned down, the team turned to JWST for detailed atmospheric studies. JWST’s powerful infrared instruments can detect the faint signatures of gases like water vapor, carbon dioxide, and methane, even in thin atmospheres.

What Makes TOI‑1698 b Special

The BBC piece highlights several key attributes that raise excitement:

“These observations suggest the planet might host an atmosphere that can trap heat,” said Dr. Elena Ramirez, lead author of the study and a researcher at the University of Cambridge. “If it has water vapor, that’s a good first sign that we should look for more complex molecules.”

The article notes that the planet is in the so‑called “Goldilocks zone” of its star – not too hot to evaporate water, nor too cold to freeze it. This makes TOI‑1698 b one of the most promising candidates for future atmospheric characterization and, eventually, direct imaging.

The Bigger Implications

The BBC feature goes on to contextualise the find in the broader search for life. “With every new planet discovered in the habitable zone, we refine our estimates of how common potentially life‑supporting worlds might be,” explains Dr. Nikolai Petrov, an exoplanet specialist at the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy. “If TOI‑1698 b turns out to have a stable atmosphere and liquid water, it would add a valuable data point to the so‑called Drake Equation, which tries to estimate the number of civilizations in our galaxy.”

The article also touches on the challenges ahead. Because red dwarf stars are often active, future missions will need to monitor TOI‑1698 b for stellar flares and to assess how those might erode its atmosphere. Moreover, the planet’s close orbit means that it could be tidally locked, with one side perpetually facing the star. That could create extreme temperature gradients, but climate models suggest that an atmosphere (or even oceans) could redistribute heat, making life‑friendly conditions plausible on the twilight side.

Follow‑up Studies and Next Steps

In the closing sections, the BBC piece highlights planned observations:

• Extremely Large Telescope (ELT) – Set to begin operations in 2027, the ELT could use high‑resolution spectroscopy to detect atmospheric molecules with unprecedented sensitivity.
• James Webb Follow‑up – Additional JWST visits are scheduled to refine the planet’s atmospheric composition, particularly to confirm the water vapor signature.
• Ground‑based Photometry – Continuous monitoring of the star’s activity will help characterize flares and assess their impact on the planet.

The article quotes the lead author, “Our next priority is to rule out a thick, runaway greenhouse atmosphere, which would render the surface uninhabitable. If we can confirm a temperate climate, the next question becomes: can we find signs of biology?”

Public Engagement and Education

The BBC article wraps up by encouraging public participation. The NASA Exoplanet Archive invites citizen scientists to analyze light‑curve data, and the Open Exoplanet Catalogue offers tools for amateur astronomers to learn about TOI‑1698 b’s transit schedule. A link leads to an interactive timeline showing the journey from TESS’s first detection to the JWST confirmation, complete with animated diagrams of the star‑planet system.

Take‑away

The discovery of TOI‑1698 b exemplifies the synergy between space‑based surveys (TESS), ground‑based follow‑up (Keck, ESO), and the cutting‑edge capabilities of JWST. While the planet’s habitability remains an open question, the preliminary evidence of a potentially Earth‑like atmosphere marks a significant step toward answering one of humanity’s oldest questions: are we alone?

The BBC article, with its clear explanation of the science, its emphasis on the human curiosity driving it, and its inclusion of quotes from the leading researchers, offers readers a comprehensive snapshot of this exciting new chapter in exoplanet research.