25 Incredible Planets We Could Live On Someday

Posted by , Updated on March 24, 2024

Have you ever pondered the possibility of humanity inhabiting planets other than Earth? Considering the vast number of star systems and planets in the Universe, there is a considerable chance of finding habitable planets. But what does the term “habitable” imply? Generally, it refers to a rocky planet that exists within the so-called habitable zone of a star, where water can be present. However, it does not necessarily mean we can simply embark on a spaceship and establish residency there. While many planets may not be fully suited for human life, being within the habitable zone and having water is a promising beginning. Given the right technology, we might one day be able to modify these planets or create artificial environments for habitation. Are you prepared for a space journey to a potential new home planet? Here are 25 Amazing Planets We Could Inhabit One Day.

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25

Kepler-438b

Kepler-438bSource: https://www.theguardian.com/science/2015/jan/06/earth-like-planet-alien-life-kepler-438b

Discovered by scientists at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, this planet is 470 light-years away in the Lyra constellation. It has a dwarf star, is in the habitable zone, and has both a rocky surface and the potential for flowing water.

24

Kepler-296e

kepler 296eSource: http://www.openexoplanetcatalogue.com/planet/Kepler-296%20e/

This planet is an Earth-sized exo-planet also in the Kepler system, but it’s much larger than Earth, measuring 1.75 times larger. It’s also a terrestrial planet in the habitable zone.

23

Kepler-62e

keplerSource: https://www.space.com/24129-kepler-62e.html

About 1,200 light-years from Earth, this planet is a potential water world with a cloudy sky and humid climate. It orbits its star every 122 days and is about 1.6 times the size of Earth. While there may be life on the planet, it might prove difficult for our own civilization to live there.

22

Gliese 832 c

Gliese832cSource: http://www.sci-news.com/astronomy/science-gliese832c-potentially-habitable-super-earth-02029.html

Located in the Grus constellation, this planet might have Earth-like temperatures with large seasonal shifts. It’s thought it could either harbor life or have an atmosphere too hot like Venus. In which case, it wouldn’t work out for us.

21

K2-3d

k2-3dSource: https://astronomynow.com/2016/11/28/potentially-habitable-super-earth-k2-3d-observed-transiting-parent-star/

Orbiting its host star EPIC 201367065, this planet is 147 light-years away and 1.5 times the size of Earth. In contrast to Earth, K2-3d orbits close to its star but the temperature of the star and distance of the orbit still puts the planet in the habitable zone.

20

Kepler-283c

Kepler-283cSource: http://www.exoplanetkyoto.org/exohtml/Kepler-283_c.html, http://www.openexoplanetcatalogue.com/planet/Kepler-283%20c/

First discovered in 2014, this planet is located roughly 1,741 light years away from Earth. It’s in the habitable zone and also orbits its star for 92.7 days.

19

Kepler-1544b

milky way galaxySource: http://www.exoplanetkyoto.org/exohtml/Kepler-1544_b.html, https://www.theweathernetwork.com/news/articles/kepler-study-more-than-doubles-number-of-known-alien-worlds/67580

A newly discovered planet, first announced in 2016, Kepler-1544b is 1,138 light-years away. It orbits around its star every 168.8 days. While it’s in the habitable zone, it’s just scratching the surface.

18

Gliese 180 c

Triple-star_sunsetSource: http://www.21stcentech.com/planetary-habitability-lab-keeping-catalog-planets-humans-move/

This planet is 38 light years from our solar system and, of course, is also in the habitable zone. It’s considered a super-Earth, measuring about 6.4 times larger than our planet.

17

Kepler-440b

Kepler-440bSource: https://misanthropester.com/2015/11/29/alcyoneus-kepler-440b/

Orbiting around an orange dwarf star, this planet takes about 101 days to revolve around it. While it’s in the habitable zone, some believe it’s likely a gaseous planet. Of course, if that’s the case, then it wouldn’t exactly work for us to live there. But who knows? Maybe it’ll turn out to be rocky?

16

Kepler-1638b

water worldSource: https://www.space.com/32852-alien-earth-search-nasa-kepler-space-telescope.html

This planet orbits a star very much like our own sun, but it’s also 60 percent wider than Earth. While it’s not identical to Earth, there is a likelihood water could exist on the planet, and it’s thought to be more Earth-like than many other exo-planets.

15

LHS 1140 b

LHSSource: http://www.skyandtelescope.com/astronomy-news/welcome-lhs-1140b-super-earth-habitable-zone/

A recent find, LHS 1140 b orbits its red dwarf star every 25 days. It’s also a Super-Earth with 8.5 times Earth’s mass. It could also prove a long-lasting planet as red dwarf stars can live for trillions of years, and while red dwarfs can be temperamental, this one seems to be the exception to the rule.

14

TRAPPIST-1g

TRAPPIST-1gSource: https://sos.noaa.gov/datasets/exoplanet-trappist-1g/

Around 40 light-years away in the constellation Aquarius, this planet is about 10 percent larger than Earth and is likely tidal locked, where the planet continuously faces its star, Trappist-1. If you were to stand on this planet, you’d likely see many other planets close up, as we’ll soon discover.

13

TRAPPIST-1f

TRAPPIST-1g_artist_impression_2018Source: https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-telescope-reveals-largest-batch-of-earth-size-habitable-zone-planets-around

Like its sister planets, this planet is 40 light years away and orbits the star TRAPPIST-1, an ultra-cool dwarf star. It’s very close to many other habitable planets near this star and would also be tidal locked. Tidal locked planets have a terminator line where one side would be perpetually icy while the other would have flowing water.

12

TRAPPIST-1e

trappist 1eSource: https://www.popularmechanics.com/space/deep-space/a16573908/trappist-1-planets-are-even-more-like-earth-than-we-thought/

Also in the TRAPPIST-1 system, this planet is unique in its similarities to Earth in radius, mass, and the amount of radiation it receives from the star. It could also have a rocky interior as well as exterior, making it even more similar to our planet.

11

TRAPPIST-1d

trappist 1dSource: https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?feature=7052

One of the smallest and lightest of the TRAPPIST-1 planets, TRAPPIST-1d is habitable but how much so is questionable. Scientists aren’t sure how thick the atmosphere is or if it has an ocean or layer of ice. There’s concern it might also have volatile substances.

10

Luyten b

satelliteSource: http://www.wired.co.uk/article/sonar-sending-music-into-space-habitable-exoplanet

Scientists believe Luyten b is both habitable and could have potential life on it. In fact, scientists are so convinced of potential life on the planet, they have been sending messages to communicate with aliens. The planet is 12.4 light-years away and three times the size of Earth.

9

Kepler-186f

kepler 186Source: https://www.nasa.gov/ames/kepler/kepler-186f-the-first-earth-size-planet-in-the-habitable-zone/

Kepler-186f takes the prize for being the first validated habitable and Earth-sized planet of a distant star. 500 light-years away, it’s known to be less than ten percent larger than Earth, although its mass is not known. Orbiting its star every 130 days, it’s roughly within the habitable zone.

8

Kepler-62f

Kepler 62fSource: http://www.wired.co.uk/article/super-earth-kepler-62f-could-support-life-and-is-just-1200-light-years-from-earth

Located 1,200 light-years away in the constellation Lyra, this super-Earth planet orbits its star every 267 days and is most certainly habitable. It’s also 40 percent larger than our planet, so there’s plenty of space to roam around.

7

Kepler-1229b

Kepler-1229bSource: https://www.revolvy.com/main/index.php?s=Kepler-1229b

Roughly 770 light-years away, this recently discovered planet is located in the constellation Cygnus. It’s a rocky planet orbiting a red dwarf star with a mass and radius much larger than Earth.

6

Wolf 1061c

red dwarfSource: https://www.sciencealert.com/astronomers-discover-closest-potentially-habitable-planet-wolf-1061c

Just 14 light-years away, Wolf 1061c is one of the closest habitable planets to us. It’s in the Ophiucus constellation and orbits a red dwarf star every 18 days. But, it’s not very similar to Earth, being tidal locked and having a greater mass and size.

5

Kepler-452b

kepler 452Source: https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-kepler-mission-discovers-bigger-older-cousin-to-earth

While this planet is estimated to be 60 percent larger than Earth, it and the star it orbits are very similar to our own. It orbits its star every 385 days and has the same temperature as ours, sitting right on the edge of the habitable zone.

4

Kepler-442b

Kepler442b(comp)Source: http://www.wired.co.uk/article/kepler-442b-more-habitable-earth

This planet is potentially more habitable than our own. According to a paper published in Astrophysical Journal that compiled data to measure habitability, Earth’s habitability rating is 0.829, while Kepler-442b is 0.836. Unfortunately, this planet is 1,100 light years away, so unless we make super fast spaceships, we’re not getting there anytime soon.

3

Gliese 667 Cc

Gliese_667_Cc_sunsetSource: https://ww2.kqed.org/quest/2013/03/22/gliese-667-cc-musing-the-possibilities-of-another-earth/

Discovered in 2009, this planet is 23 light-years from Earth. While it’s habitable, it’s very different from our own planet. It has much greater gravity than Earth and the light from its red dwarf star is dimmer, making the planet far darker than our own.

2

Proxima Centauri b

proxima centauri bSource: https://www.theguardian.com/science/2016/aug/24/earth-like-planet-found-orbiting-our-suns-nearest-star-raises-hopes-for-life-proxima-b

Only four light-years away, Proxima Centauri b is 1.3 times the mass of Earth and is within the habitable zone. The surface would be a chilly -40 C and its red dwarf star could prove to be unstable, causing too much radiation for humans to handle. But with technology, it’s still a likely candidate for making a new home.

1

Mars

marsSource: http://www.planetary.org/blogs/guest-blogs/2017/20170921-mars-isru-tech.html, https://www.sciencealert.com/nasa-wants-to-launch-a-giant-magnetic-shield-to-make-mars-habitable

Mars is the closest semi-habitable planet to Earth. In fact, NASA is currently working to find ways to make it more habitable in the future, including sending out an artificial magnetic field to help bring back its atmosphere. With the right technology, Mars could easily become humanity’s new home.



Photo: 1. Pixabay.com (Public Domain), 2. ESO/M. Kornmesser, Artist’s impression of Proxima Centauri b shown hypothetically as an arid rocky super-earth, CC BY 4.0 , 3. ESO/L. Calçada, Gliese 667 Cc sunset, CC BY 4.0 , 4. Ph03nix1986, Kepler442b(comp), CC BY-SA 4.0 , 5. WikipediaCommons.com (Public Domain), 6. WikipediaCommons.com (Public Domain), 7. MarioProtIV, Kepler-1229b, CC BY-SA 4.0 , 8. NASA.gov (Public Domain), 9. Nasa.gov (Public Domain), 10. pxhere (Public Domain), 11. WikipediaCommons.com (Public Domain), 12. ESO/N. Bartmann/spaceengine.org, Artist’s impression of view from one of the middle planets in the TRAPPIST-1 planetary system, CC BY-SA 4.0 , 13. By NASA/JPL-Caltech - Cropped from: <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA22093">PIA22093: TRAPPIST-1 Planet Lineup - Updated Feb. 2018</a>, Public Domain, Link, 14. WikipediaCommons.com (Public Domain), 15. ESO/spaceengine.org, Artist’s impression of the super-Earth exoplanet LHS 1140b, CC BY 4.0 , 16. pixabay (not actual photo of planet) (Public Domain), 17. Ph03nix1986, Kepler-440b, CC BY-SA 4.0 , 18. WikipediaCommons.com (Public Domain), 19. WikipediaCommons.com (Public Domain), 20. Ph03nix1986, Kepler-283c, CC BY-SA 4.0 , 22. WikipediaCommons.com (Public Domain), 23. NASA.gov (Public Domain), 24. WikipediaCommons.com (Public Domain), 25. PN84100RAUL84100, Kepler-438b, CC BY-SA 4.0