Found 24 planets more suitable for life than Earth

The study included planets that are older, slightly larger, slightly warmer, and perhaps more

wetter than the Earth. Life could also evolve more easily on planets that orbit slower-changing stars with longer lifespans than our Sun.

All 24 main contenders for theThe titles of “superhabitable planets” are located at a distance of more than 100 light years from us. But Schulze-Makuch said his research could help focus future observation work, such as from the James Webb Space Telescope, the LUVIOR space observatory, and PLATO, a planned European Space Agency telescope that will use an array of photometers to detect and ;characterize exoplanets of all types and sizes in yellow and orange dwarf systems similar to our Sun.

“With the advent of the next space telescopes, wewe will get more information about space objects, so it is important to choose specific targets for observation, ”explains the author of the study. “We have to focus on specific planets that have the most promising conditions for complex life. However, we must be careful not to get stuck looking for a second Earth, because there may be planets that may be more suitable for life than ours. "

For research Schulze-Makuch, geobiologist,specializing in planetary habitability, teamed up with astronomers Rene Heller of the Institute for Solar System Research. Max Planck and Edward Guinan of Villanova University to define criteria for superhabitats and search for 4,500 known exoplanets outside our solar system. It is worth noting, however, that habitability does not mean there is life on these planets. They are simply conditions conducive to life.

Although the Sun is the center of our planetarysystem, it has a relatively short lifespan of less than 10 billion years. Since it took nearly 4 billion years for any form of complex life to appear on Earth, many stars similar to our Sun, called G stars, could run out of fuel before complex life could arise.

In addition to studying systems with colderG-stars, the researchers also looked at systems with K-dwarf stars, which are somewhat cooler, less massive and less luminous than our Sun. K stars have the advantage of lifespans ranging from 20 to 70 billion years. 

Size and weight also matter. A planet 10% larger than Earth should have more livable conditions. If a planet is about 1.5 times the mass of the Earth, it will maintain internal heating for longer due to radioactive decay. Also, such a planet will have a stronger gravity to hold the atmosphere for a longer period of time.

Among 24 candidates for the “ideal”planet, none of them meet all the criteria for superhabitable planets, but one has four critical characteristics that make it perhaps much more comfortable for life than our home planet.

“Sometimes it is difficult to convey this principlesuper-habitable planets, because we think we have the best planet, ”concludes Schulze-Makuch. “We have a large number of complex and diverse life forms, and many of them can survive in extreme conditions. It's good to have an adaptable life, but that doesn't mean we have the best. ”

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