A team of scientists has discovered a super-Earth planet orbiting a nearby M dwarf star called TOI-1846. The planet, named TOI-1846b, is located 47 light-years away from Earth and has a radius of approximately 1.8 times that of our own planet. This discovery is significant because it falls within the “radius valley” – a region around 2R⊕ where few small planets are known to exist.
The researchers used data from the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) and ground-based observations to detect the planet’s presence. They also employed high-resolution imaging and statistical validation techniques to confirm their findings.
ToI-1846b is expected to have a mass of around 4.4 times that of Earth, which is within the range of super-Earths known as this type of planet falls in. Its orbit takes approximately 3.9 days to complete, resulting in an equilibrium temperature of around 589K.
This discovery sheds light on our understanding of planetary formation and evolution processes, particularly for small planets orbiting bright M dwarfs. The precise location of the radius valley is refined with this new finding, contributing to ongoing research in astrobiology.
Source: https://astrobiology.com/2025/06/toi-1846b-a-super-earth-in-the-radius-valley-orbiting-a-nearby-m-dwarf.html