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30Proxima Centauri b is an exoplanet that orbits in the habitable zone of the nearest star to our Solar System, Proxima Centauri, which is located about 4.24 light-years away in the constellation Centaurus.
The discovery of Proxima Centauri b was announced in August 2016 by a team of astronomers using the radial velocity method to detect the planet's presence. The planet is estimated to be about 1.3 times the mass of Earth, with an orbital period of about 11.2 Earth days.
Although Proxima Centauri b is located in the habitable zone of its star, meaning that it receives a similar amount of radiation from its star as Earth receives from the Sun, its habitability is still uncertain. The planet is likely tidally locked, meaning that one side always faces the star, which could lead to extreme temperature differences between the two hemispheres. Additionally, Proxima Centauri is a red dwarf star, which is known to be more active than stars like the Sun, with frequent flares that could strip away the planet's atmosphere and make it uninhabitable.
Further research is needed to determine the actual habitability of Proxima Centauri b, but its discovery has generated excitement among scientists and the general public as a potential target for future exploration and potentially the search for extraterrestrial life.