Astronomers confirm new TOI-1752 planetary system

An international team of astronomers, led by the Institute of Astrophysics of Andalusia (IAA-CSIC), has confirmed the existence of a new planetary system named TOI-1752. Located approximately 337 light-years from Earth, the system orbits a red dwarf star and consists of two distinct planets.

The first planet, TOI-1752 b, is a short-period world that completes an orbit in less than a day. Due to the intense radiation it receives, researchers suggest it may be a lava planet with a surface of molten rock.

The second planet, TOI-1752 c, is intermediate in size between Earth and Neptune. It is situated within the optimistic habitable zone, a region where liquid water could potentially exist on the surface under certain conditions. While its location is promising, scientists noted that being in this zone does not automatically guarantee habitability.

The discovery was made by combining data from NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) with observations from various ground-based telescopes. This multi-wavelength approach allowed researchers to rule out other celestial objects, such as eclipsing binaries or brown dwarfs, confirming the bodies as true planets.