Hello this is my fusion blog post for my Planetery Exploration project prep 1
- What planet did you choose and why?
We chose the planet Teegarden’s Star B because this exoplanet scored a 0.9 on the ESI scale(Earth simillarity Index). For comparison, other deemed habitable planets like Proxima Centauri b scored 0.87. This exoplanet sits in the habitable zone around a red dwarf star and has an average surface temperature of 28 °C.
- What opportunities present themselves on your new home planet?
- Teegarden’s Star B sits in the goldilocks zone where liquid water could exist if there is a suitable atmoshphere. As a result, astronomers estimate the chance of water existing on the exoplanet to be 60%.
- Teegarden’s Star B has a minimum mass close to earths, this suggest the exoplanet is rocky. This is an exciting oppouruinity because rocky planets have enough gravity to hold on atmosphere which is vital for: retaining heat, protecting surface water from evaporation, and protection from harmful radiation.
- What challenges do you foresee?
Teegarden’s star B is a red dwarf. One uncertainty that scientists have not confirmed is weather not it really has an atmosphere. Sceintists estimate the odds of it having an atmoshphere are a mere 3% chance. Thus, if we are going to be living on this planet we would most likely have to construct an atmosophere of our own which is incredibly dificult.
Furthermore, Teegarden’s star B is a red dwarf meaning that there are going to be flares which can release dangerous UV Radiation. The planet is considered to be quiter compared to other red dwarf but the risk is still there.
Teegarden’s Star B also has a very short orbit of about 4.9 earth days. This suggests that the planet is Tidal locked meaning that one side of the planet is alwasy facing towards it’s star. As a result, this max habitabillity more complicated becasue there will be a vast day and night temperature contrast.
- What implications might there be for vehicle design?
Teegarden’s Star B has a rocky terrain and gravity similar to Earth. A good implication for vehicle design might be a rocky bogie because it has the ability to traverse through rocky and bumpy environments. Another good implication is the ability to hover for short periods of time. This would allow the vehicle to cross cliffs, deep cracks, or even boulders. And because its gravity is similar to Earth’s, its design can be based on things like planes or helicopters that already exist on Earth, so we don’t need to adjust anything for this implication.
Because Teegarden is a red dwarf, it releases UV radiation, so we need our vehicle to defend against it. We could implement a reflective outer layer of aluminum foil or polished aluminum, which is widely used as a coating for spacecraft. A second layer of polycarbonate could absorb most of the UV. It would also be safer if the vehicle is remote-controllable, as this would reduce the risk of a human being harmed.
- How do we know what we know about your planet? Be specific. What research was done? What devices were used? How did those devices collect what data, and what conclusions can be drawn from them? What report speaks specifically to this information?
Scientists first discovered it in 2019 by scientists using the CARMENES spectrograph at the Calar Alto Observatory. CARMENES Spectograph is a powerful instrument that measures the radial velocity of nearby stars. It does this by carefully analyzing changes in the star’s light spectrum. Using this, researchers discovered two planets, one of them being Teegarden’s star b.
The data collected in the research included the star’s motion speed, brightness, and wavelength shifts. This allowed scientists to calculate the planet’s mass, orbital period (4.9 days), and distance from its star
The findings were published in the scientific report:
Zechmeister et al., “The CARMENES search for exoplanets around M dwarfs: Two temperate Earth-mass planets around Teegarden’s Star,” Astronomy & Astrophysics, 2019.
SOURCES
Boukrouche, R., Caballero, R., & Lewis, N. T. (2025, October 24). Near the Runaway: The Climate and Habitability of Teegarden’s Star b. Iopscience. Retrieved November 6, 2025, from https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/2041-8213/ae122a
Ward, C. (2024, August 22). Where We Would Send The Ark: The Best Exoplanets Within 25 Light-Years. SYFY. Retrieved November 7, 2025, from https://www.syfy.com/syfy-wire/the-best-exoplanets-within-25-light-years
Zechmeister, M., Dreizler, S., & Ribas, I. (2019, July 1). The CARMENES search for exoplanets around M dwarfs. EDP Science. Retrieved November 7, 2025, from https://www.aanda.org/articles/aa/full_html/2019/07/aa35460-19/aa35460-19.html
AI TRANSCRIPTS
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1fO7wBZ8hILxgQ5XcccFL3p2opJAZwj7fYFEViBcQ9Gk/edit?tab=t.0
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