There Are 45 Earth-Like Worlds Where Aliens May Exist, Scientists Say

Scientists reviewed more than 6,000 known exoplanets and narrowed the list to 45 rocky candidates in or near habitable zones.

The shortlist includes familiar nearby worlds such as Proxima Centauri b, TRAPPIST-1, Kepler-186f, TOI-715 b, and LHS 1140 b.

By focusing on the most promising targets, researchers can make better use of telescope time to look for signs of life-supporting conditions.

The findings could help guide future observations by missions and telescopes such as Gaia, James Webb, and the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope.