Dr. Suvrath Mahadevan of Penn State, a co-author of the study, explained:
“While we can’t yet confirm the presence of an atmosphere or life on GJ 251 c, the planet represents a promising target for future exploration. We made an exciting discovery, but there’s still much more to learn about this planet.”
Searching for Life on Super Earth and Interstellar Object 31/ATLAS
Astronomers detected GJ 251 c by analyzing more than 20 years of stellar data to identify the tiny “wobble” in its host star caused by the planet’s gravitational pull — a method known as the radial velocity technique.
Initially, scientists were studying a previously known planet in the same system, GJ 251 b, but their analysis revealed another, more massive world orbiting further out. Though GJ 251 c cannot yet be directly seen, upcoming telescopes may finally capture its image.
Dr. Beard, one of the study’s authors, noted:
“While its discovery is statistically significant, we’re still determining the status of the planet due to the uncertainty of our instruments and methods. What we also need is community investment in next-generation telescopes.”
The Bigger Picture: Cosmic Connections
The discovery of GJ 251 c adds to growing evidence that super Earths may be common across the galaxy — and possibly hospitable to life. Some astronomers even draw parallels between this planet’s potential and objects like 3I/ATLAS, which may represent interstellar material carrying traces of alien biology.
