Earth might not necessarily the best place for life in the universe. Researchers have identified two dozen planets out of our solar system that could present better life conditions than Earth does.
Some of those planes orbit stars that might be more prolific than our sun.
The Study
A study carried out by Dirk Schulze-Makuch, a Washington State University scientist, was recently published in the journal Astrobiology.
It spoke about detailed characteristics of possibly so-called superhabitable planets, including older, bigger, a tad warmer, and probably wetter than Earth.
Life can easily thrive on planets that circle slower moving stars with increased lifespans than our sun.
The 24 contenders for the superhabitable planet-class are all over 100 light-years away. Still, the researcher claims that the study might help us focus on upcoming observation efforts, like NASA’s James Web Space Telescope, the LUVIOR space observatory, and the European Space Agency’s PLATO telescope.
Schulze-Makuch, a professor of the WSU and the Technical University of Berlin, stated:
“With the next space telescopes coming up, we will get more information, so it is important to select some targets.”
“We have to focus on certain planets that have the most favorable conditions for complex life. However, we have to be careful not to get stuck looking for a second Earth because there could be planets that might be more suitable for life than ours,” he added.
The concept of habitability means that these planets can host life (at an advanced level), but that does not necessarily imply that they also have experience.
The researchers picked planet-star systems with probable terrestrial planets orbiting within the host star’s liquid water habitable area.