Sounds like NASA just found a new home for aliens, but what if it’s just another ‘super-Earth’ sending us mysterious signals? The planet TOI-1846 b, nearly twice the size of Earth and four times as massive, orbits a red dwarf star every four days, making it a true cosmic sprinter. This close orbit causes periodic dimming of the star’s light, which led to its discovery by the TESS space telescope. But the mystery doesn’t end there!
The surface temperature of this planet reaches about 8220 degrees Celsius, but scientists believe it might contain water — possibly as a thin atmosphere, a layer of ice, or a shallow ocean. Is this the new candidate for life in space? The planet is likely tidally locked, meaning one side always faces the star while the other remains in eternal darkness. This extreme temperature contrast could create conditions to retain water in the cooler parts, making it a real cosmic drama!
TESS, orbiting since 2018, has already identified over 700 potential transit events, with more than 200 confirmed as new planets. This telescope scans the sky every 30 minutes, making it perfect for catching faint signals like the one from TOI-1846 b. Soon, the James Webb Space Telescope will use infrared light to analyze the planet’s atmosphere, searching for water vapor, methane, and carbon dioxide.
And as if that’s not enough, data suggests TOI-1846 b might not be alone in its cosmic neighborhood. Small changes in its orbit hint at the presence of another, as yet unseen object, possibly another planet in the habitable zone. This discovery follows the identification of TOI-715 b, another ‘super-Earth’ orbiting a different red dwarf star 96 light-years away.
Since red dwarfs make up about 75% of all stars in our galaxy, studying planets like TOI-1846 b could reveal how many habitable worlds exist in the Milky Way. Are we really alone, or is our neighbor just a little closer than we thought? This cosmic thriller is just beginning, and we’re all front-row spectators.
If this sounds like the start of a new sci-fi series, maybe it’s time to think about what else is waiting to be discovered. While you wait for the James Webb telescope to shed more light on this mysterious planet, feel free to share your theories — is TOI-1846 b a new home for aliens or just another rock in the cosmic sea? Maybe it’s time to prepare for a close encounter! Or at least have a good laugh while dreaming about it.
And yes, if you’ve already started thinking about moving to this super-Earth, don’t forget your sunscreen — it’s definitely hot there!
