Humans have dreamed of traveling through space throughout our history. Once achieved, we discover that the cosmos contains a multitude of exoplanets , most of which do not resemble Earth, but there are a few that do. Below, we detail the most Earth-like exoplanets!
Before getting into the matter, we must make it clear what an exoplanet is. Planets that orbit around other stars are called exoplanets. This is the case of Earth, like the other 7 planets of the Solar System. Their name is usually derived from the star on which they orbit, although it can also be due to their discoverer or the technology used for it, among others. Whatever they are called, their existence has ceased to be fictional content to become a reality.
Exoplanets are difficult to detect, since they are millions of light years away, so a traditional telescope is not used, but “wobbly stars” are sought that do not orbit perfectly , but with small jumps. Thus we can deduce that they have an orbit and through the variations of this orbit, confirm their existence. The following 5 are some of the most similar to Earth
Gliese 667CC
It is located 22 light years from Earth and is approximately 4.5 times larger than Earth. It is a very hopeful planet for scientists since, although it only orbits for 28 days (Earth does it for 365), it is possibly habitable. It revolves around a frigid red dwarf, making it cooler than Earth , and this is what makes it potentially habitable.
TRAPPIST-1E
It was discovered in 2017 and part of the opportunities for a planetary exodus fall on it. TRAPPIST-1e takes its name from the solar system to which it belongs, TRAPPIST-1, from which it differs by its iron core . Its core is made up of iron and is between 50% and 78% of the radius, similar to 55% of the earth. This is vital, as a planet needs a strong core to support Earth-like life.
Proxima Centauri B
It is the closest exoplanet to Earth, since it is “only” four light years away . However, hopes of it being habitable are dashed when it is discovered that it is exposed to extremely strong ultraviolet radiation that would kill any life.
Kepler-1649c
It is located 300 light-years from Earth and rose to fame in 2020 when data taken by the Kepler space telescope, from which it takes its name, was reanalyzed. It has a size very similar to Earth, being only 1.06 times larger than it. Its resemblance to the blue planet is not only consistent with its size , but also receives a similar amount of light from the star it orbits.
Teergarden’s Star b
The most remarkable feature of this entity is that it orbits for just 5 days. The star on which it orbits, Teergarden’s, is a red dwarf 10 times smaller than our Sun. The biggest unknown is knowing if it receives all the energy necessary for life , since, as we have mentioned, its star is not only much smaller smaller than the Sun, but also less massive.