A year in search of life in space

In 2024, the scientific community achieved significant results in astronomy, both in the search for exoplanets and in the study of the Solar System.

Exoplanets
Gliese 12 b: Exoplanet 40 light years away, with temperatures between 10-41°C, potentially habitable if it has a suitable atmosphere.
TOI-715 b: Rocky planet, three times more massive than Earth, located in the habitable zone of its star.
Barnard b: Planet near Barnard's Star, interesting for future observations due to its proximity to the Solar System.
Gas giants: TESS has identified many Jupiter-like planets, which are useful for studying the evolution of planetary systems.
Global progress: The threshold of 7,300 known exoplanets has been exceeded, using advanced techniques such as transits and radial velocity.
Water in the Solar System
Mimas and Miranda: Underground oceans discovered on Saturn and Uranus“ moons respectively, expanding the list of ”ocean worlds'.
Comet 67P: The similarity between the comet's water and that on Earth reopens the debate on the origin of water on Earth.
Asteroid Bennu: Organic compounds and minerals linked to water have been detected, which are fundamental to understanding the primordial conditions of the Solar System.
Planetary formation: New studies show how planetesimals distributed water during the formation of the Solar System.
These advances highlight the importance of space missions and Earth-based observations for better understanding our Universe and the origin of life.