Galactic neighbors
A newly discovered planetary system just 33 light-years away appears to include two rocky, Earth-size bodies.

Astronomers at MIT and elsewhere have discovered a multiplanet system about 33 light-years from Earth, making it one of the closest known.
At the heart of the system lies a small, cool M-dwarf star named HD 260655. With help from data previously collected by other groups, astronomers with NASA’s MIT-led Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) have identified two terrestrial, Earth-size planets in its orbit.
The planets are likely not habitable: they are so close to the star that temperatures are probably too high to sustain liquid surface water. Nevertheless, scientists are excited about this system because the proximity and brightness of its star will give them a closer look at the properties of the planets and signs of any atmosphere they might hold.
“Both planets in this system are each considered among the best targets for atmospheric study because of the brightness of their star,” says Michelle Kunimoto, a postdoc in MIT’s Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research and one of the discovery’s lead scientists. “Is there a volatile-rich atmosphere around these planets? And are there signs of water or carbon-based species? These planets are fantastic test beds for those explorations.”
Keep Reading
Most Popular
A Roomba recorded a woman on the toilet. How did screenshots end up on Facebook?
Robot vacuum companies say your images are safe, but a sprawling global supply chain for data from our devices creates risk.
A startup says it’s begun releasing particles into the atmosphere, in an effort to tweak the climate
Make Sunsets is already attempting to earn revenue for geoengineering, a move likely to provoke widespread criticism.
10 Breakthrough Technologies 2023
These exclusive satellite images show that Saudi Arabia’s sci-fi megacity is well underway
Weirdly, any recent work on The Line doesn’t show up on Google Maps. But we got the images anyway.
Stay connected
Get the latest updates from
MIT Technology Review
Discover special offers, top stories, upcoming events, and more.