天文学家确认一颗名为GJ3378b的系外行星，位于距离地球仅25光年的红矮星宜居带内，可能具备孕育生命的条件
A discovery that caught the attention of Chinese netizens on Sunday was that astronomers have confirmed an exoplanet named GJ3378b, located within the habitable zone of a red dwarf star about 25 light-years from Earth, may possess conditions suitable for life, making it one of the closest potentially habitable worlds known to date, as reported by the Science and Technology Daily (STD).
艺术家绘制的“超级地球”GJ3378b表面视角图。图源：尼古拉·伯曼/加州大学尔湾分校
这颗行星位于鹿豹座方向，围绕一颗暗淡的红矮星运行，被视为目前已知距离地球最近的潜在宜居世界之一。这项研究成果发表在最新一期《天体物理学杂志》上，标志着人类在探索近邻宜居行星的道路上又迈出重要一步
The planet lies in the direction of the constellation Camelopardalis and orbits a faint red dwarf star. The findings, published in the latest issue of The Astrophysical Journal, mark another significant step in the search for habitable worlds beyond the solar system.
GJ3378b最初于2024年被法国天文学家发现。当时测定的质量为地球的5.26倍，被认为是一颗类似微型海王星的气态行星。然而，美国加州大学尔湾分校团队利用基特峰国家天文台的WIYN 3.5米望远镜等设备进行二次观测后，修正了这一结论。新数据显示，GJ3378b的真实质量仅为地球的2.3倍，属于岩石质地的“超级地球”。
GJ3378b was first identified by French astronomers in 2024. Initial estimates suggested it had a mass of 5.26 times that of Earth, leading scientists to classify it as a gaseous mini-Neptune. However, a team from the University of California in the US, using the WIYN 3.5-meter Telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory and other facilities, revised that assessment. New observations indicate the planet has a mass of just 2.3 Earth masses, placing it in the category of rocky "super-Earths".
轨道参数同样得到修正。最初认为该行星的公转周期为25天，实际仅为21天。这意味着它比此前判断的更靠近母星，但也恰好处于宜居带内——这一区域允许行星表面温度维持液态水的存在。这颗行星从母星接收的辐射量约为地球从太阳获取的90%，位置非常理想。
Scientists initially believed GJ3378b completed one orbit around its host star every 25 days. Updated observations shortened that period to just 21 days. Although this means the planet is closer to its star than previously thought, it remains within the habitable zone, where temperatures could allow liquid water to persist on the surface. The planet receives about 90 percent as much stellar radiation as Earth receives from the sun, placing it in what researchers consider an ideal location for habitability.
但红矮星常发出强烈的恒星风和有害辐射，可能剥离行星的大气。由于该行星并未从其恒星前方发生凌星现象，天文学家无法利用太空望远镜通过凌星光谱学技术分析其大气成分。
At the same time, the planet's orbit around a red dwarf presents challenges. Such stars frequently emit intense stellar winds and high-energy radiation that can strip away a planet's atmosphere. Moreover, because GJ3378b does not transit in front of its host star from Earth's perspective, astronomers cannot analyze its atmosphere using transit spectroscopy with space telescopes, according to the STD report.
目前，天文学家只能寄望于计划在本世纪40年代部署的NASA宜居世界天文台。届时，这台望远镜或许能直接探测到GJ3378b的大气层，甚至进一步寻找生命存在的证据。
For now, scientists are looking ahead to NASA's proposed Habitable Worlds Observatory, expected to launch in the 2040s. The telescope may be capable of directly detecting GJ3378b's atmosphere and potentially identifying signs of life.
尽管存在诸多未知，天文学家仍持乐观态度：GJ3378b恰好位于受辐射严重影响的区域边缘，可能避免了最恶劣的环境。
Despite the many uncertainties, astronomers remain cautiously optimistic. GJ3378b appears to orbit near the outer edge of the region most severely affected by stellar radiation, meaning it may have avoided the harshest conditions, according to the report.
来源： 科技日报 环球时报
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