TOI-715

TOI-715 is a red dwarf star located approximately 137 light-years away in the constellation Volans. Designated a spectral type M4, it is significantly smaller and cooler than our Sun. The star is known for hosting at least one confirmed exoplanet, TOI-715 b, and potentially a second, as yet unconfirmed, planet.

TOI-715 b is a super-Earth sized exoplanet, with a radius approximately 1.55 times that of Earth. It orbits within the star's habitable zone, a region around a star where temperatures could allow liquid water to exist on a planet's surface, assuming it possesses sufficient atmospheric pressure. The planet's orbital period is quite short, taking only 19 days to complete one revolution around its star.

The unconfirmed planet, if verified, would be roughly Earth-sized and would also reside within the habitable zone. Further observations and data analysis are needed to confirm its existence and characterize its properties.

The discovery of these planets around TOI-715 was made possible by NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), which detects exoplanets by observing the slight dimming of a star's light as a planet passes in front of it (a transit).

Studying planetary systems around red dwarf stars like TOI-715 is crucial for understanding the diversity of planetary systems in our galaxy and for potentially identifying habitable worlds outside our solar system. However, red dwarf stars are also known for their high levels of stellar activity, including flares, which can pose challenges to the habitability of planets orbiting them.

Further research is ongoing to characterize the atmosphere and potential habitability of TOI-715 b and to confirm the existence of the second planet.