Planet TOI-1452 b

    In the search for exoplanets  (planets outside our solar system), astronomers are on the lookout for planets that have the potential to support organic life. But how could they possibly know if a planet tens of lightyears away is home to life? Quite simply, they can't. 

    But they can look for the potential. So far, the only planet we know for certain can sustain life is our own Earth. So that's what we're looking for -- a watery planet, close enough to its star that it isn't frozen solid, but not so close that it's too hot for life. This sweet spot is called the "Goldilocks Zone", and it's where Earth and Mars live in our solar system. 

  

   Enter the newly discovered TOI-1542 b planet discovered by researchers at the University of Montreal. While thousands of exoplanets have been discovered already, TOI-1452 b is making headlines for a couple key reasons. What's so special about it?

Benoit Gougeon's Artistic Interpretation of TOI-1542 b

1) It's about 100 light years from us, which is very close in the scope of the universe.

2) It's within the Goldilocks zone of its star.

3) Its calculated density is what we could expect of a planet covered in deep ocean.

    All this to say that this planet is one of the most promising discoveries to date in the search for life beyond our solar system. While we presently can't confirm the makeup of this planet or its atmosphere, it is a candidate for more observation in the future on the James Webb Space Telescope. Much more information about TOI-1452 b can be obtained from the Webb than what currently is known, so keep an eye out in the coming weeks and months for more news of this exciting planet!

The James Webb Space Telescope

 Sources: 

-https://exoplanets.nasa.gov/what-is-an-exoplanet/overview/ 

-https://exoplanets.nasa.gov/faq/15/what-is-the-habitable-zone-or-goldilocks-zone/

-https://singularityhub.com/2022/08/28/this-newly-discovered-super-earth-may-be-an-ocean-planet-shrouded-in-the-deepest-of-seas/ 

-http://exoplanet.eu/catalog/toi-1452_b/

-https://astrobiology.com/2022/08/toi-1452-b-an-extrasolar-world-covered-in-water.html

-https://www.space.com/21925-james-webb-space-telescope-jwst.html