There Is Another Earth, and It's Next to Us

By Trevor Durham on August 24, 2016

The New York Times has just broken a story that, next door to our galaxy, there is another Earth like planet.

M. Kornmesser’s rendition of the new Earth

Astronomers have announced that they have discovered a planet orbiting Proxima Centauri, the closest star to our solar system. It is located within what is called the Goldilocks zone – neither too hot nor too cold.

Liquid water may already exist on this planet. There may be an atmosphere, even breathable. Life can thrive. If it already hasn’t.

With recent news of a Mars expedition in the works, we are mere decades away from space-craft that can reach this system. It lies only 4.2 light years (around 25-trillion miles) from us, extremely close in cosmic terms. Earth has a next-door neighbor.

What other life may be waiting for us on Proxima b?

Other than size and distance, not much is currently known about this second Earth. They are estimating it is 1.3 times the mass of Earth. Scientists have named the planet ‘Proxima b’, but I personally will just call it Earth 2.

Harvard astronomers are thrilled and already trying to find ways to get closer for a look. With the recent announcements of Russian entrepenuers and Stephen Hawking developing new types of space probes, the likelihood of investigating this planet within the next few decades is high.

Stay tuned as this story develops.

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