Astronomers Discover New Earth-Sized Exoplanet Orbiting Nearby Ultra-Cool Red Dwarf

Researchers have identified an Earth-sized exoplanet orbiting a small, cool star just 55 light years from Earth, the Guardian reported yesterday.

The rocky world, dubbed Speculoos-3b, circles its host star once every 17 hours, completing a year in less than a day on Earth, the article mentioned.

The exoplanet orbits an ultra-cool red dwarf, half as hot as the sun and 100 times less luminous, scientists have noted.

Speculoos-3b is believed to be tidally locked, with one side permanently facing the star and the other cast in endless darkness.