Proxima Cen b: A World 4.2 Light-Years From Earth

Proxima Cen b: A World 4.2 Light-Years From Earth

Exploring Space

June 10, 2026

Proxima Cen b: A World 4.2 Light-Years From Earth

Proxima Cen b is a planet almost exactly Earth's size, orbiting the star closest to our Sun — just 4.24 light-years away. But could it support life? Scientists are still working to uncover the secrets of this nearby, mysterious world.

Meet GJ 3378 b: A Super-Earth Around a Small Red Star

June 10, 2026

Meet GJ 3378 b: A Super-Earth Around a Small Red Star

A planet bigger than Earth has been found orbiting a small, dim red star called GJ 3378. Scientists used a clever light-dimming trick to spot it, and while there is still a lot to learn, every new world discovered helps us understand just how many planets fill our galaxy.

Planet that's like Earth

Habitable Worlds

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.

Habitable planet

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.

How Did We Find DMPP-6 c?
Scientists can't photograph DMPP-6 c, but they still proved it exists — 178 light-years away! Find out how a tiny starlight wobble and a cool trick called the Doppler effect helped astronomers uncover this mysterious world bigger than Earth but smaller than Neptune.
Could Kepler-991 b Be Friendly to Life?
Kepler-991 b is a planet more than 1,200 light-years away that scientists discovered in 2016. It's bigger than Earth, orbits a calm orange star, and has a temperature that might not rule out life — but there's still a lot we don't know.
TOI-1718 b: A New World Around TOI-1718
TOI-1718 b is a scorching hot planet nearly four times wider than Earth, racing around its star in less than six days. It belongs to a type of world that doesn't exist in our solar system — and scientists are just beginning to uncover its secrets.
How Long Would It Take to Reach Gl 725 A b?
Gl 725 A b is one of the closest exoplanets to Earth, but even at 11.5 light-years away, it would take our fastest spacecraft about 209,000 years to get there. Find out what that distance really means and what we know about this nearby world.
HD 85426 c: Getting to Know a Mini-Neptune
HD 85426 c is a faraway world bigger than Earth but smaller than Neptune, and scientists have already figured out some surprising things about it. Find out what it might be made of, how hot it gets, and why this planet is such a great example of how space science works.