This Nearby Earth-Sized Planet Could Answer Big Questions About Alien Worlds

Astronomers discovered and statistically validated TOI-4616 b, an Earth-sized planet transiting a nearby mid-M dwarf observed by TESS.

TOI-4616 b has a radius of about 1.22 Earth radii, orbits every 1.55 days, and has an equilibrium temperature near 525 K.

The host star lies about 91 light-years away and has a radius ~0.1889 R☉, mass ~0.1881 M☉, and temperature ~3150 K.

Because the planet is highly irradiated and well-characterized, researchers say it can serve as a benchmark for studies of atmospheric escape and planetary evolution.