MNRAS: Astronomers identify 45 promising rocky exoplanets in search for life

Astronomers have narrowed a field of more than 6,000 known exoplanets to 45 rocky worlds considered the most promising candidates for habitability, according to a study published in the journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.

The international research team analysed data from the European Space Agency’s Gaia mission and NASA’s NASA Exoplanet Archive to identify planets located within the so-called habitable zone — the region around a star where temperatures could allow liquid water to exist. The presence of liquid water is widely regarded as a key prerequisite for life.

Among the most promising candidates are Proxima Centauri b, TRAPPIST-1e, TRAPPIST-1f and Kepler-186f. Scientists are paying particular attention to the TRAPPIST-1 system, located about 40 light-years from Earth, as well as to LHS 1140 b.

Several of these planets receive levels of stellar energy comparable to the amount Earth receives from the Sun, making them especially attractive targets in the search for atmospheres and potential biosignatures.

Researchers also identified 24 additional planets within a more narrowly defined habitable zone. The expanded list includes worlds with elongated orbits, such as TOI-700e and K2-3d, to assess whether planets can remain habitable even if they periodically move beyond traditionally defined temperature ranges.

The resulting catalogue is expected to help astronomers prioritise future observations. In the coming years, both space-based and ground-based telescopes will study these targets in greater detail to determine whether they possess atmospheres and to better understand surface conditions.

Scientists say such observations will mark an important step forward in the search for extraterrestrial life and in refining scientific models of planetary habitability across the universe.

By Sabina Mammadli