Astronomers Discover Potentially Habitable ‘Earth-like’ Planet 150 Light Years Away

SYDNEY — Australian astronomers say they have found a candidate for a potentially habitable, Earth-sized planet about 150 light-years from Earth.

The planet, designated HD 137010 b, appears to be roughly the same size as Earth and orbits a Sun-like star with a period of about 355 days, according to a study published Thursday in The Astrophysical Journal Letters.

Researchers found the candidate planet using archived data from NASA’s 2017 Kepler K2 mission. It is estimated to receive about 70 % less light than Earth does from the Sun, giving it surface temperatures colder than those on Mars, with some regions possibly dropping below minus 70 °C.

The world lies near the outer edge of its star’s so-called habitable zone — the range of distances where conditions might allow liquid water to exist if a suitable atmosphere were present.

Because HD 137010 b has been observed transiting its star only once so far, scientists are calling it a planet candidate pending additional observations to confirm its existence and refine estimates of its characteristics.

Lead author Dr. Alexander Venner of the University of Southern Queensland said there is about a 50 % chance the candidate lies within the habitable zone.

Co-author Dr. Chelsea Huang described the discovery as a step forward in the search for an Earth twin, though she noted it falls short of that goal.

Future observations with more powerful telescopes may help confirm whether HD 137010 b truly is a planet and whether its conditions could support life