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NASA Found Another Super Earth from A Mysterious Signal!

The signal was first detected in March 2025 and confirmed through multi-continent ground observatories combining photometry and spectroscopy

NASA Found Another Super Earth from A Mysterious Signal!
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The signal was first detected in March 2025 and confirmed through multi-continent ground observatories combining photometry and spectroscopy... Selengkapnya

Liputan6.com, Jakarta NASA astronomers have recently identified a fascinating super-Earth exoplanet, TOI-1846 b, located about 154 light-years away in the northern constellation Lyra, which has been observed emitting a mysterious starlight flicker signal that has caught the attention of scientists worldwide.

Discovered using NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), the planet is nearly twice the size and about 4.4 times the mass of Earth, orbiting a cool red dwarf star with roughly 40% of our Sun’s size and mass.

The signal was first detected in March 2025 and confirmed through multi-continent ground observatories combining photometry and spectroscopy, making this one of the most rigorously verified findings of a potentially habitable super-Earth to date.

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The Signal Indicate Complex Atmospheric or Surface Activity

While the signal’s exact nature remains unresolved, researchers are intrigued because such flickers may indicate complex atmospheric or surface activity, possibly linked to processes that could support habitability or, more speculatively, even signs of artificial origin that warrant further study.

TOI-1846 b’s close orbit around a red dwarf star places it near or within the star’s habitable zone, where temperatures could allow liquid water to exist under suitable atmospheric conditions.

This zone proximity and the planet’s composition make TOI-1846 b an exceptional candidate for detailed follow-up observations, especially with instruments like the James Webb Space Telescope aimed at analyzing atmospheric components that might hint at life-sustaining elements.

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The current focus is on understanding the planet’s condition

Scientists caution that while the mysterious signal is compelling, confirming any direct indication of life or intelligent sources requires exhaustive scrutiny.

The current focus is on understanding the planet’s climate, geophysical properties, and stellar interactions that might produce such signals naturally.

This discovery represents a major milestone in exoplanet research, pushing the boundaries of what we know about super-Earths and their potential to harbor life.

NASA and the global scientific community are preparing for extensive campaigns to monitor TOI-1846 b and unravel the secrets behind its enigmatic transmissions in the coming months.

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What's Next?

“These findings make TOI‑1846 b well‑suited for mass determination via RV observations,” the team noted, pointing to the MAROON‑X instrument on Gemini North in Hawaiʻi.

By clocking the star’s wobble at yard‑per‑second precision, MAROON‑X can verify the planet’s mass and sniff out hidden siblings.

Transit timing campaigns will keep watching for additional planets that tug on TOI‑1846b as it circles. A second world farther out could protect a gentler, milder zone where liquid water survives without pressure cookers.