Alpha Centauri May Have Earth-like, Habitable Planets
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Researchers at the University of California have developed a computer model of the triple star system at Alpha Centauri that shows that Alpha Centauri B (the largest of the three stars) could have rocky Earth-like planets orbiting within its habitable zone, where liquid water could exist.At four light years away, these are the closest stars to our solar system. Of the 276 extrasolar planets we have found so far none of them have been that local. Now two of the co-authors are about to start a campaign at Cerro Tololo Observatory in Chile to observe Alpha Centauri to test methods to look for these planets.
Alpha Centauri is a good target because, like the Big Dipper in the Northern Hemisphere, Alpha Centauri is almost always up in the Southern Hemisphere night sky for observing. Being so bright and nearby would also help researchers detect the tiny wobble a small terrestrial planet would impart.
Scientific modeling of solar system formation had previously found that while gas giants are unlikely to form in the Alpha Centauri system, rocky planets would. This new data that the possible planets could be in a habitable zone makes it all the more tantalizing.
University of California researcher Javiera Guedes developed the simulations of the system's first 200 million years.
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