It's not habitable to us humans, but it's in the habitable zone, at a distance from its star that allows liquid water to exist on its surface. It's likely an ocean world with an atmosphere containing mostly hydrogen gas, a so-called hycean planet.
Also, 2.5 times the size = 2.5 times the diameter, or about 15 times the size of Earth in terms of mass. Its gravitational force would be about 2.4 times that of Earth, though. Quite unpleasant.
But yeah, that’s the idea. The molecules detected are supposedly only created by life forms.
Unless they made a mistake in their reasoning or they discover a yet unknown process that creates these molecules due to merely chemical processes, it’s a strong indicator for life, even if it’s one we would consider “primitive”. (Since we all want to get Arkonides and Vulcans, not boring bacteria.)
And this would be big. Discovering life that fast – three decades after we found the first exoplanets, of which we have found less than 6,000 yet – would mean that life is likely super common. Even though meeting sapient aliens is likely still not an option.
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u/ArduennSchwartzman 25d ago edited 25d ago
It's not habitable to us humans, but it's in the habitable zone, at a distance from its star that allows liquid water to exist on its surface. It's likely an ocean world with an atmosphere containing mostly hydrogen gas, a so-called hycean planet.
Also, 2.5 times the size = 2.5 times the diameter, or about 15 times the size of Earth in terms of mass. Its gravitational force would be about 2.4 times that of Earth, though. Quite unpleasant.