Back in 1995, astronomers had detected a planet orbiting around a Sun-like star. This was a huge deal. And today, we have discovered more than 4000 extrasolar planets. They come in a wide variety of sizes and characteristics. By the most optimistic projections, only about 50 are habitable, and only 20 have Earth-like temperatures. So, if we were to send off a probe to explore some of these worlds, what would be the top 5 nearest choices to visit?
From gravitational waves to weird radio signals, 2016 has been a busy year in the field of astronomy. With the constant deluge of ongoing news and controversies, it’s easy to lose sight of what’s happening in the world of outer space. So here are the top 10 stories in astronomical discoveries you should know about.
Recently, we began hearing rumors that an Earth-like planet had been found within the habitable zone of the next-nearest star to us, Proxima Centauri. According to the European Southern Observatory and other institutions, those statements have been confirmed. Yes, there is a new planet, like Earth, within its star’s habitable zone, and relatively close to us.
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Irene W. Pennington Planetarium 