“Exoplanets are known to orbit various types of stars such as solar-type stars, low-mass M-dwarfs (red dwarf stars), evolved stars, and stellar remnants,” said Subaru Telescope astronomer Hiroki Harakawa and colleagues.
“Among them, M-type stars are especially promising targets for the detection of Earth-like planets.”
“These stars’ small sizes make transits relatively deep, and their low luminosities make the habitable zone close to the star where the radial velocity amplitude is larger.”
“Nevertheless, exoplanet discoveries around cool M-dwarfs are still limited.”
The newly-discovered exoplanet orbits Ross 508, an M4.5-type dwarf about five times smaller and less massive than the Sun.
Also known as Gliese 585, LTT 14584, LHS 396 and LSPM J1523+1727, the parent star is located 36.5 light-years (11.2 parsecs) away in the constellation of Serpens.
Named Ross 508b, the alien world is approximately 4 times more massive than Earth.
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