Scientists hunt for 'superhabitable' planets possibly more welcoming than Earth
Scientists are now hunting for "superhabitable" planets that could actually be more welcoming to life than Earth.
These worlds might be 20% to 30% wider than Earth and roughly twice as massive, have more water, and orbit cooler, longer-lasting K-dwarf stars, meaning they could support life for way longer than our planet does.
ESA's Plato, JWST to search K-dwarfs
Superhabitable planets probably circle stable K-dwarf stars, which help them retain a thicker atmosphere and potentially support a warmer and more stable climate, perfect for supporting lots of different life forms.
Astrobiologist Iva Vilovic points out that NASA says these stars are common in our galaxy, making them exciting targets.
The European Space Agency's Plato is scheduled to launch in 2027 to search for potentially habitable planets, and the James Webb Space Telescope is meanwhile scanning for various such worlds.