What is Wolf 1069 b?

Feb. 6, 2023

Astronomers have recently discovered Wolf 1069 b, an Earth-mass exoplanet that could potentially be habitable.

About Wolf 1069 b:

  • It is a potentially habitable exoplanet 31 light-years away from Earth. 
  • It orbits a red dwarf star, Wolf 1069.
  • Wolf 1069 b lies within its star’s habitable zone.
  • Wolf 1069 b receives approximately 65% of the solar radiance that Earth receives.
  • Wolf 1069 b is potentially a rocky world, at about 26 the mass of Earth and 1.08 the size.
  • Its surface is cool, which makes it appear orange.
  • Wolf 1069 b is tidally locked to its parent star, meaning one side is always in daylight, and the opposite side is always in darkness. 
  • It orbits the star within 15.6 days at a distance equivalent to one-15th of the separation between the Earth and the sun.

What is a dwarf star?

  • A dwarf star is any star of average or low luminosity, mass, and size.
  • The colour of dwarf stars can range from blue to red, the corresponding temperature varying from high (above 10,000 K) to low (a few thousand K).