An international team of astronomers from the United States, Canada, the Netherlands and other countries has discovered a new exoplanet three times the size of Earth, located 309 light-years from our planet. The found world was called TOI 4633 c and named Percival in honor of the father of Albus Dumbledore, the headmaster of the Hogwarts wizarding school, from the fantasy novels of the British writer JK Rowling about the wizard Harry Potter. The research was published in the official gazette Web site Simons Science Foundation.
Planet Percival has attracted the attention of scientists due to its habitability potential. It orbits a Sun-like star and lies in the so-called habitable zone, a region where temperatures allow liquid water to exist.
Another feature of TOI 4633c was its extremely long orbit.
Percival was discovered using the transit method; When the planet passed between its sun and observers on Earth, it slightly dimmed the star’s brightness. This change in properties allowed astronomers to calculate the location of the new world.
Scientists noted that TOI 4633c itself is unlikely to contain Earth-like life. The planet has no solid surface and consists of water vapor, hydrogen and methane. However, Percival may have harsher months that are more suitable for living things.
Previous researchers named Signs of the existence of life on other planets.
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Source: Gazeta
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