Exoplanet 99% Earth

For years, astronomers have been hunting for an "Earth Twin"—a planet that isn't just a big rock in space, but a place where you could actually breathe the air and drink the water. While we haven't found a 100% perfect match yet, scientists recently discovered a "candidate" planet that comes incredibly close.

The planet is currently known by the scientific name HD 137010 b. Here is why everyone is talking about it.

What Makes a Planet "Earth-Like"?

To be 99% like Earth, a planet needs to check a few very specific boxes:

1. The Right Size: It needs to be rocky, not a giant ball of gas like Jupiter.

2. The Right Star: It should orbit a star like our Sun (not a tiny, "angry" red star that shoots out dangerous radiation).

3. The Habitable Zone: It needs to be at the "Goldilocks" distance—not too hot, not too cold, but just right for liquid water to exist.

Why HD 137010 b is Special

Found using data from NASA's Kepler mission and confirmed by researchers in early 2026, this planet is one of the best matches we’ve ever seen.

• A Familiar Year: Most exoplanets we find zip around their stars in just a few days. HD 137010 b takes about 365 days to orbit its star—almost exactly the same as an Earth year!

• The Sun’s Cousin: Its star is very similar to our own Sun, though a little bit cooler and dimmer.

• The Size: It is roughly the same size as Earth, meaning it likely has a solid surface you could stand on.

The Catch: It Might Be an "Ice World"

Even though it’s a near-twin in size and orbit, there is one big difference: temperature.

Because its star is a bit dimmer than our Sun, HD 137010 b receives only about 30% of the light that Earth gets. Scientists think the surface might be around -68°C (-90°F). That’s colder than most places on Earth, making it more of a "Cold Earth" than a tropical paradise.

However, if the planet has a thick atmosphere (like a heavy blanket of clouds), it might trap enough heat to stay warm enough for life.

How Do We Find Them?

We can't see these planets directly because they are trillions of miles away. Instead, we use the Transit Method. Imagine a moth flying in front of a distant lighthouse; the light dims just a tiny bit. Astronomers watch for that tiny "dip" in a star's brightness to prove a planet is passing in front of it.

Will We Ever Go There?

HD 137010 b is about 146 light-years away. Even with our fastest current rockets, it would take hundreds of thousands of years to get there. For now, we "visit" these worlds using giant telescopes like the James Webb Space Telescope to sniff their atmospheres and see if they contain oxygen or water vapor.

We are closer than ever to finding a true 99% match, proving that our tiny blue marble might not be the only one of its kind in the universe.