An Etymological Dictionary of Astronomy and Astrophysics

An → extrasolar planet around the → red dwarf star → R 128.

The → exoplanet orbits its star every 9.9 days. This Earth-sized world is expected to be temperate, with a surface temperature that may also be close to that of the Earth.

Many red dwarf stars, including → Proxima Centauri, are subject to → flares that occasionally bathe their orbiting planets in deadly → ultraviolet and → X-ray radiation. However, it seems that Ross 128 is a much quieter star, and so its planets may be the closest known comfortable abode for possible life.

Ross 128 b orbits 20 times closer than the Earth orbits the Sun. Despite this proximity, it receives only 1.38 times more irradiation than the Earth. As a result, Ross 128 b’s equilibrium temperature is estimated to lie between -60 and 20°C, thanks to the cool and faint nature of its small red dwarf host star, which has just over half the surface temperature of the Sun.

See also: The letter b, designates the first exoplanet discovered around → R 128.