Earth-like Planet Discovered by Researchers

Gliese 12 b's distance of 40 lights years away means it is too far away to experience more closely (NASA)
Gliese 12 b's distance of 40 lights years away means it is too far away to experience more closely (NASA)
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Earth-like Planet Discovered by Researchers

Gliese 12 b's distance of 40 lights years away means it is too far away to experience more closely (NASA)
Gliese 12 b's distance of 40 lights years away means it is too far away to experience more closely (NASA)

Scientists at the University of Warwick say they have been part of an international team to discover a new new habitable Earth-sized planet.

Working with NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA), they said Gliese 12 b has the same temperature as the 2022 UK heatwave and is one of the few known rocky planets where humans could theoretically survive, BBC reported.

But the planet's distance of 40 lights years away means it is too far away to experience more closely, the university said.

Warwick astrophysicist Dr Thomas Wilson said: "This is a really exciting discovery and will help our research into planets similar to Earth across our galaxy."

The planet has an estimated surface temperature of about 42C, but the scientists said they were still unsure of what, if any, its atmosphere was like.

It orbits its version of the sun every 12.8 days and is a similar size to Earth.

The planet’s equivalent of the Sun, called Gliese 12, is a cool, red dwarf located in the constellation Pisces and the planet receives 1.6 times more energy from its star as Earth does from the sun, the university said.

The team used data from NASA and ESA’s satellites to confirm the planet’s existence and characteristics like its size, temperature, and distance away from Earth.

"Thrillingly, this planet is the closest Earth-sized and temperature planet we know," Dr Wilson added.

"The light we are seeing now is from 1984 (40 years ago) – that’s how long it has taken to reach us here on Earth.

"Planets like Gliese 12 b are very few and far between, so for us to be able to examine one this closely and learn about its atmosphere and temperature is very rare."

According to BBC, Larissa Palethorpe, co-lead of the study and doctoral student at the University of Edinburgh and University College London said it was "a unique candidate" for further atmospheric study to help unlock some aspects of our own solar system’s evolution.

"Earth remains habitable, but Venus does not due to its complete loss of water. Gliese 12 b’s atmosphere could teach us a lot about the habitability pathways planets take as they develop," she added.



6,101 Pieces of History: Brazilian Owns World’s Largest Shirt Collection

 Cassio Brandao, 41, holds a German shirt received by Pele during an exchange with player Beckenbauer at the end of a game, in a room filled with clothes racks that in April 2024 made him become a Guinness World Records title holder as the owner of the world's largest collection of soccer shirts, in Sao Paulo, Brazil June 24, 2024. (Reuters)
Cassio Brandao, 41, holds a German shirt received by Pele during an exchange with player Beckenbauer at the end of a game, in a room filled with clothes racks that in April 2024 made him become a Guinness World Records title holder as the owner of the world's largest collection of soccer shirts, in Sao Paulo, Brazil June 24, 2024. (Reuters)
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6,101 Pieces of History: Brazilian Owns World’s Largest Shirt Collection

 Cassio Brandao, 41, holds a German shirt received by Pele during an exchange with player Beckenbauer at the end of a game, in a room filled with clothes racks that in April 2024 made him become a Guinness World Records title holder as the owner of the world's largest collection of soccer shirts, in Sao Paulo, Brazil June 24, 2024. (Reuters)
Cassio Brandao, 41, holds a German shirt received by Pele during an exchange with player Beckenbauer at the end of a game, in a room filled with clothes racks that in April 2024 made him become a Guinness World Records title holder as the owner of the world's largest collection of soccer shirts, in Sao Paulo, Brazil June 24, 2024. (Reuters)

Brazilian Cassio Brandao walks through rooms filled with clothes racks that in April made him a Guinness World Records title holder as the owner of the world's largest collection of soccer shirts.

From rare Pele jerseys to a 1998 World Cup shirt signed by Ronaldo, the 41-year-old Google employee has amassed a total 6,101 shirts since he started collecting them in 2000.

"They are more than just 6,101 pieces of fabric; they are 6,101 stories that help us tell a bit of the history of soccer," Brandao told Reuters as, wearing white gloves, he took out some of his favorite items.

He keeps his shirts at the office of a collectors club he founded in Sao Paulo, "Alambrado Soccer & Culture," bringing together 60 people who trade stories and jerseys - some worth up to 40,000 reais ($7,400).

Brandao's collection includes the shirt worn by Pele when the Brazilian player nicknamed "The King" met Britain's Queen Elizabeth in 1968. She was the guest of honor at a match at Rio de Janeiro's monumental Maracana stadium during an official visit to Brazil.

Pele is the star of the Alambrado office, which is decorated with signed shirts and framed pictures of the late soccer great, who died in December 2022.

"Some shirts can go up to 40,000 reais, but a Pele shirt is priceless," Brandao said.

He also displays a 1994 Brazil jacket worn by seven times Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton at last year's Sao Paulo Grand Prix, when the British driver - an honorary Brazilian citizen - asked to borrow the outfit.

A large part of Brandao's collection is dedicated to his favorite club, local side Corinthians, including jerseys from Ronaldo's spell at the club and shirts worn by his favorite player Socrates.

"Each shirt contains a story," Brandao said. "Stories of wins, losses, and overcoming. Stories that document a bit of the world's greatest sport."