52 Ceti f
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Tau Ceti f is an unconfirmed planet that may be orbiting the nearby Sun-like star Tau Ceti 11.905 light years from the Sun. It is the fifth planet from Tau Ceti in its system - the outermost planet of the system discovered as of 2012.
It is notable due to its predicted habitability and Earth-like properties, with an Earth Similarity Index of 0.71 and an orbit that places it in Tau Ceti's extended habitable zone.[1]
Discovery
As the other four planets of Tau Ceti, it was detected in 2012 by realizing statistical analyses of the data of the star's variations in radial velocity that were obtained using HIRES, AAPS, and HARPS.[2]
Characteristics
Due to the detection method used, few properties of the planet are known other than its orbit and mass.
It orbits Tau Ceti at a distance of 1.35 AU (near Mars's orbit in the Solar System) with an orbital period of 642 days and has a minimum mass of 6.6 Earth masses, which means it is a super-Earth.
Possible habitability
Assuming that Tau Ceti f is a terrestrial planet, it would likely be at least 2.3 times larger in size than the Earth.[citation needed][dubious – discuss] Assuming an Earth-like atmosphere, the surface temperature would be approximately −40°C (233 K). With a denser atmosphere able to produce a stronger greenhouse effect it could have a much higher temperature, between 0 °C and 50 °C, enough for complex life to exist.[1]
References
- ^ a b "Two Nearby Habitable Worlds? - Planetary Habitability Laboratory @ UPR Arecibo". Phl.upr.edu. Retrieved 2014-01-08.
- ^ Tuomi, M.; et al. "Signals embedded in the radial velocity noise: Periodic variations in the tau Ceti velocities" (PDF). Astronomy & Astrophysics (preprint). arXiv:1212.4277. Bibcode:2012yCat..35519079T. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201220509.
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