Habitable exoplanets and the latest shortlists
A recent astronomical study has identified 45 rocky exoplanets orbiting within the habitable zones of their stars, selected from more than 6,000 confirmed exoplanets. These represent prime targets in the ongoing search for conditions that could potentially support alien life.
The research, led by Professor Lisa Kaltenegger of Cornell University and published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society in March 2026, utilized updated data from the European Space Agency’s Gaia mission and NASA’s Exoplanet Archive. It focused on planets with radii less than about twice that of Earth or masses below roughly five Earth masses—consistent with rocky … Continue