NASA's Spitzer Telescope Finds And Confirms Closest Rocky Exoplanet

by Benson Agoha | Space Science

NASA's Spitzer Confirms Closest Rocky Exoplanet

HD 219134 is 21 lights years away.
(Credit: via NASA)

NASA on Friday announced the discovery of the closest rocky exoplanet confirmed outside our solar system and, according to the report, it is located just off the "W" pattern of the Cassiopeia constellation.

The planet lies 21 light-years away and can't be seen directly, but its star is visible to the naked eye. 

NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope was used by astronomers to confirm the discovery of the nearest rocky planet outside our solar system, larger than Earth and a potential gold mine of science data.

It has been labelled HD 219134b and this exoplanet orbits too close to its star to sustain life, NASA said because it is also a mere 21 light-years away.

While the planet itself can't be seen directly, even by telescopes, the star it orbits is visible to the naked eye in dark skies in the Cassiopeia constellation, near the North Star, NASA says.

HD 219134b is also the closest exoplanet to Earth to be detected transiting, or crossing in front of its star and, therefore, perfect for extensive research.

NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope.
(Credit: via NASA)

Michael Werner, the project scientist for the Spitzer mission at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California said "Transiting exoplanets are worth their weight in gold because they can be extensively characterized," adding "This exoplanet will be one of the most studied for decades to come."

According to the report, the planet, initially discovered using the HARPS-North instrument on the Italian 3.6-meter Galileo National Telescope in the Canary Islands. It is the subject of a study accepted for publication in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics.

Study lead author Ati Motalebi of the Geneva Observatory in Switzerland said she believes the planet is the ideal target for NASA's James Webb Space Telescope in 2018.

"Webb and future large, ground-based observatories are sure to point at it and examine it in detail," Motalebi said.

Below is the silenced video:

To read the full story, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/press-release.