Astronomers identify 45 places in the galaxy to look for alien life

A study published in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society lists 45 rocky exoplanets that orbit within their stars' habitable zones and highlights 24 candidates in a narrower three-dimensional habitable zone; the selection used data from the ESA Gaia mission and the NASA Exoplanet Archive and includes Proxima Centauri b and TRAPPIST-1f.

Researchers have published a study that identifies 45 rocky exoplanets orbiting within their stars' habitable zones. The paper appears in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. The list is based on data from the European Space Agency's Gaia mission and the NASA Exoplanet Archive. It includes well-known examples such as Proxima Centauri b, TRAPPIST-1f, and Kepler 186f, along with less-known candidates like TOI-715 b. Key facts: - The study lists 45 rocky worlds that orbit within habitable zones around their host stars. - The team used Gaia mission data and the NASA Exoplanet Archive to identify candidates. - The shortlist includes Proxima Centauri b, TRAPPIST-1f, Kepler 186f, and TOI-715 b. - Four of the seven planets in the TRAPPIST-1 system are identified as being in that system's habitable zone. - LHS 1140 is highlighted; Webb telescope observations are reported to suggest it could be a water world with a nitrogen-rich atmosphere. - The researchers also identified 24 candidates in a narrower three-dimensional habitable zone that accounts for orbital eccentricity. Summary: The authors say the shortlist is intended to guide astronomers' observational priorities and to test how factors such as orbital eccentricity and received stellar energy relate to the presence of surface water. Observations from facilities like the Webb telescope are already informing assessments for some candidates. Undetermined at this time.