In 2020, a study confirmed that two planets orbited the nearby red dwarf, GJ 887. Now, astronomers have confirmed the existence of two additional planets orbiting GJ 887 in a new study published in Astronomy and Astrophysics. The new study suggests that one of these newly confirmed planets is in the habitable zone.

GJ 887 is a bright red dwarf star about 10.7 light years away from our solar system—a relatively short distance compared to other star systems. The previous study showed two non-transiting exoplanets with short orbital periods of 9 and 21 days and a potential third planet with a period of 50 days. At the time, available data could not differentiate whether the signal that was interpreted as potentially being from the third planet was coming from a planet or magnetic activity from the star.

Red dwarf stars are prime targets for finding low-mass planets in the habitable zone (HZ)—a region within a particular distance from a star where a planet’s surface temperature allows for the existence of liquid water. The team involved in the new study aimed to determine whether this potential third planet could be confirmed and whether there might be any additional planets.

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