Four compelling targets in the search for potentially Earth-like environments.
“Earth 2.0” is an invitation to explore, not a scientific classification. These are confirmed planets selected as promising research targets, not unconfirmed planet candidates or a ranked list of Earth twins. No Earth twin, surface ocean or life is established here.
A planet in our nearest stellar neighbourhood, with an orbit in its star’s habitable zone and a mass comparable to Earth.
The open question
Its star produces strong flares, and its atmosphere and surface conditions are unknown. Its radius is less securely established than those of transiting worlds.
The illustration imagines this planet’s appearance; colours and terrain are not observations.
A small size or Earth-like mass and an orbit that could allow liquid water with a suitable atmosphere make a useful starting point. The habitable zone describes stellar heating, not a measured climate. Atmospheric survival, radiation, chemistry and geological history all matter.
This is an editorial selection of four well-studied targets, not a calculation of habitability probabilities. Numerical facts come from the current NASA archive snapshot; the context links explain the selection.
