Samuel Okoruwa
Scientists have been doing the best they can to locate planets where we can live in in case the world ever gets destroyed. They’ve done a great job in identifying a good number of earth-like planets. However, they are not stopping any time soon until they locate the first true “alien earth”. And they’ve found some really interesting planets.
Here are 10 planets they’ve discovered in their search for man’s next potential home.
Kepler-452B
After Kepler-452B was discovered in 2015, scientists nicknamed it “super earth” for one reason: it is five times the size of earth. This planet’s major shortcoming is that its entire atmosphere is as hot as the desserts of Africa. A year on this planet takes 385 days which is quite similar to earth. If we were to go to this planet, we would have to travel at a speed much more faster than the speed of light. This is because it would take 30 million year to arrive on the planet even in a super-fast spaceship.
Gliese-667CC
This planet is more similar to mars than it is to earth but it is still a special candidate for life in case the earth ever gets destroyed and we need a new home. It is four times the size of earth and also very cold being around -18 degrees.
Kepler-62F
Another super earth, Kepler-62F is billions of years old. When scientists discovered it in 2016, they were so amazed at how much similar it is to earth. Due to a lot of water on the planet, it could actually accommodate humans and may be home to some aliens. This planet is similar to how earth was during the ice age millions of years ago.
Gliese-581G
Gliese-581G is similar to two other planets namely, Gliese-667CC and Gliese 581-C. However, it is the most earth-like of the three planets. It is much larger than earth and receives more sunlight, making it a suitable candidate for life. One problem with this planet is that some parts of it are very cold. The coldest place on this planet is minus 370 degrees!
READ ALSO: These 8 things would have been different if the earth was flat.
Proxima-B
Proxima-B is just about 4.2 light years away from the earth. It was only discovered in 2016 and deemed to be the closest planet to our solar system. Proxima-B is similar to earth because it has a lot of water. The only major problem with this planet is that it is very dark because it rarely receives any light. It is also known for its violent winds. One year on Proxima-B takes only 11 days. Imagine the number of birthday you could have on this planet.
HD-85512B
This planet is nearly 4 times bigger than earth. If we were to live on this planet, we would weigh a lot less than what we weigh on earth. That’s because the gravity on the planet is only 1.4 G unlike it is on earth. We would also be a lot older due to the fact that a year on the planet is only 54 days long. One side o HD-5512B is always facing the sun while the other side is always facing the dark. This means one side of the planet always experiences day while the other experiences night. Imagine living on a planet like that! Everyone would want to be on the daytime side of the planet.
Kepler-22B
Kepler-22B is 600 light years away from earth but near enough to the sun to be habitable. It is double the size of earth, making it a colder and much further away from the sun. A large portion of Kepler-22B is covered by water which means we would have to make man-made islands if we were ever to live on it. There are even suggestions that some form of alien life may live on the planet due to the large amount of liquid in it.
Kepler-438B
This planet was discovered in 2015 and found to be 470 light years away. Scientist described it as one of the most earth-like planets ever discovered due to its Earth Similarity Index (ESI). This index is a characterisation scientists use to determine how similar a planet is to the earth. Interestingly, Kepler-438B’s is 88% similar to earth, making it a potentially habitable planet. It is also 12% larger than earth. However, this planet’s atmosphere is not so favorable for life and its star emits flares 10 times more powerful than our sun.
Kepler-186F
Discovered in 2014, this planet is very similar to earth but quite rockier. One year on this planet is about 130 days and it will take 500 light years to travel to it. Like some other planets on this list, one portion of Kepler-186F is always facing the sun.
Kepler-62E
This is another planet scientists have dubbed “super earth. The planet’s surface is rocky but it also has a substantial amount of water. A year on Kepler-62E is 120 days long. This planet is not as habitable as some of the other planets on this list but it is still a suitable candidate if we ever have to run from mother earth.
Which other earth-like planets are there and which of them would you like to live in? Tell us in the comment section below.
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