Super-Earth TOI-715 b: New Habitable Zone Planet Discovered
September 27, 2025
Astronomers have discovered TOI-715 b, a super-Earth 1.5 times our planet's size, orbiting within the conservative habitable zone of its cool star.
In a thrilling new discovery, astronomers have confirmed the existence of a 'super-Earth' exoplanet named TOI-715 b, located just 137 light-years away. This fascinating world, approximately 1.5 times the width of our own planet, orbits within the 'conservative habitable zone' of its parent star—a red dwarf that is smaller and cooler than our sun. This placement means TOI-715 b could possess the right conditions for liquid water to exist on its surface, a critical ingredient for life as we know it.
A Candidate for Habitability
The planet was identified by NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS). TOI-715 b completes a full orbit around its star in just 19 Earth days, a 'year' much shorter than our own due to its proximity to the star. Despite this closeness, the star's cooler nature allows the planet to maintain a potentially temperate climate. Adding to the excitement, scientists have also detected hints of a second, possibly Earth-sized, planet within the same system, which would be one of the smallest habitable-zone planets found by TESS to date.
- Planet Type: Super-Earth
- Diameter: 1.5 times that of Earth
- Star Type: Red Dwarf
- Orbital Period: 19 Earth days
- Distance: 137 light-years from Earth
- Key Feature: Resides in the conservative habitable zone
Discoveries like TOI-715 b are not just about finding new worlds; they are about narrowing the search for life beyond Earth. Each one provides a crucial data point and a potential target for atmospheric analysis with instruments like the James Webb Space Telescope.
Future observations will be critical in determining if TOI-715 b has an atmosphere and what it might be composed of. The planet's discovery highlights the success of missions like TESS in identifying promising candidates for further study, bringing us one step closer to answering the age-old question: are we alone in the universe?
Super-Earth TOI-715 b: New Habitable Zone Planet Discovered - FAQs
A super-Earth is a type of exoplanet with a mass higher than Earth's but significantly lower than that of our solar system's ice giants, Uranus and Neptune.
It represents a more stringently defined region around a star where a rocky planet is most likely to support liquid water on its surface, increasing the probability of habitable conditions.
TOI-715 b was discovered using data from NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), which detects planets by observing the slight dimming of a star's light as a planet passes in front of it.
Yes, scientists have found tantalizing evidence of a second, smaller planet in the system. This potential world could be Earth-sized and also located within the habitable zone.