In a groundbreaking discovery, an international research team led by the Yunnan Observatories of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has identified a potentially habitable super-Earth, Kepler-725c. The planet, located approximately 2,472 light-years away, orbits a Sun-like star and is about 10 times the mass of Earth.
Kepler-725c resides within the habitable zone, where conditions could allow for liquid water, a key ingredient for life as we know it. The planet's orbital period is roughly 207.5 days, similar to Earth's. The discovery, published in Nature Astronomy on June 3, 2025, marks the first time the Transit Timing Variation (TTV) method has been used to find a potentially habitable exoplanet.
The TTV technique, which analyzes subtle variations in the timing of a known planet's orbit, allowed scientists to detect Kepler-725c. This innovative approach opens new avenues for discovering potentially habitable worlds that traditional methods might miss. This discovery provides new observational targets and technical support for upcoming Chinese astronomical projects.