This is a breaking news story.
This evening Der Speigel reported that at the end of August, the European Southern Observatory will announce that they have possibly detected a world orbiting the star Proxima Centauri, one of the triad that makes up the Alpha Centauri star system.
The yet unnamed planet is presumably Earthlike and moves apparently so favorable distance to Proxima Centauri, that on its surface liquid water could exist - which is an important requirement for the emergence of life.
Never before Scientists came across a possible second Earth, which is so close. End of August, will European Southern Observatory Eso announce the scientific sensation.
(The above was translated with Google Chrome’s automatic translation. As I do not speak or read German, I can’t speak to the above being the most direct and correct translation.)
Exciting news for the end of August.
Proxima Centauri is a star only 4.2 light years from Earth. There really aren’t any details---this apparently must have been a leak. Proxima Centauri is a red dwarf, prone to flares. It orbits the other two more sun-like stars of Alpha Centauri at a large distance and actually may just be a brief companion to them. Alpha Centauri B, the dimmer of the two sunlike stars, may have an unconfirmed companion.
When ESO releases details, I obviously will have much, much more and will write a far more in-depth diary.
Needless to say, this is exciting and positive news.
More about the project, which began in January, can be read in this Sky and Telescope article. Another group is hoping to launch a telescope just for observing Alpha Centauri and all its companions in 2019.
The last time the project’s twitter account tweeted was in July, when they hinted their paper was in peer review.
The details of what Pale Red Dot was looking for can be read here (please click through and read it, it is good.)
I don’t think I can express how terribly exciting this is.