This year has been monumental for space exploration: the Pluto flyby pictures and the announcement of liquid water existing on Mars are just two of the many incredible space discoveries and events that have transpired in 2015. The year is ending on a strong note with the discovery of three exoplanets orbiting Wolf 1061, a star that is only 14 light years away from our solar system.
Earlier this month, the University of New South Wales announced this discovery and went on to say that three exoplanets might have solid surfaces made of rocky materials. One of the exoplanets, Wolf 1061c, is potentially habitable.
Wolf 1061c is in a zone that is “not too close and not too far” from the star to rule of the possibility of liquid water. Dr. Duncan Wright, a UNSW lead study author involved in these findings, comments that, “It is fascinating to look out at the vastness of space and think a star so very close to us – a near neighbor – could host a habitable planet.”
The possibility of life beyond earth being discovered has been intriguing researchers and space aficionados for ages, and each finding like this brings researchers one step closer to making an historic discovery. Here’s to more exciting space-related news in 2016!