Which Planets Are the Most Like Earth?

June 8, 2026

Which Planets Are the Most Like Earth?

Scientists score how Earth-like a planet is — but the highest scorers might still be furnaces. Here's what 'most Earth-like' really means.

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Finding Planets

June 8, 2026

How Do We Find Planets We Can’t Even See?

We almost never see exoplanets directly. Here are the two clever tricks scientists use to find hidden planets — the tiny dip and the wobble.

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Habitable Worlds

June 8, 2026

What Makes a Planet Habitable?

The habitable zone is only the first step. What scientists really mean by 'habitable' — and why a planet in the zone, like Venus, can still be hostile.

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Spotting TIC 18942729 b: The Transit Method
In 2026, astronomers discovered TIC 18942729 b, a planet 376 light-years away that completes one full orbit around its star in just one Earth day! Find out how scientists spotted it without ever leaving home — using tiny dips in starlight.
Could Kepler-1661 b Be Friendly to Life?
Astronomers found a world called Kepler-1661 b that might sit in the zone where liquid water could exist — but it's also much bigger than Earth and very cold. Could it still be friendly to life? The answer might surprise you.
TOI-929 b: A New World Around TOI-929
Meet TOI-929 b, a scorching hot world 373 light-years away that completes an entire year in less than six Earth days! Scientists are still piecing together what this strange planet is made of, and its story is full of surprises.
Teegarden’s Star c: A World 12.5 Light-Years From Earth
Teegarden's Star c is a planet almost exactly the same size as Earth, but it orbits just 12.5 light-years away around a tiny, dim red dwarf star. Could this chilly, mysterious world be hiding secrets? Let's find out what scientists have discovered so far!
TIC 390586021 b: Getting to Know a Mini-Neptune
TIC 390586021 b is a mini-Neptune — a type of planet bigger than Earth but smaller than Neptune — and it zips around its star in less than three days! Scientists are piecing together clues about what this faraway world is made of, and the answers are surprisingly tricky.