Astronomers have identified a nearby exoplanet that closely resembles Earth in both size and orbit, raising fresh hopes that a potentially life-friendly world may exist just 150 light-years away.
The planet, labeled HD 137010 b, was detected using archived observations from NASA’s Kepler space telescope. Early measurements suggest it shares several striking similarities with Earth, including a comparable diameter and an orbital period of roughly 355 days around its host star.
Those parallels make it one of the more intriguing Earth-like candidates found in recent years. Yet scientists caution that the planet’s actual environment may be far less welcoming.
A familiar world on paper
Researchers believe HD 137010 b is rocky rather than gaseous, placing it in the same broad category as Earth and Mars. Its orbit circles a sun-like star at a distance that, in theory, could allow liquid water under the right conditions.
Distance also works in astronomers’ favor. At about 150 light-years away, the system is relatively close compared with many known potentially habitable exoplanets, making it brighter and easier to study with current and future telescopes.
That proximity could help scientists analyze its atmosphere in greater detail, something that is far more challenging for worlds located hundreds or thousands of light-years away.
