Kepler-442b would be the only planet more habitable than Earth, study reveals

Discovered by the Kepler space telescope of the POT in 2015, the exoplanet Kepler-442b is considered the only planet more habitable than Earth.according to different studies.

A report published on the website of The Republic details that this planet has just over twice the Earth’s mass and is 30 percent larger than our planet, which is why it is called Super-Earth. Also, It is 1,194 light years from Earth.

Compared to our world, Kepler-442b is less than half the distance from its star, cooler than our Sun, so the temperature on the exoplanet should be warm.

Why is it more habitable than Earth?

Experts developed a habitability index in 2015 for exoplanets, evaluating their distance from the host star and its temperature to deduce if it was within the so-called habitable zonewhich allows a planet to have liquid water.

They also consider size to confirm whether or not it is rocky, the eccentricity of its orbit, which determines whether the planet receives unequal or similar amounts of energy from its star throughout the year, and its albedo, which is the amount of reflected light. for its surface.

The scientists established that the maximum habitability score would be 1. To everyone’s surprise, Earth received a score of 0.829 and Kepler-442b scored 0.836, being the exoplanet with the highest index..

Also, in early 2020, a study conducted by researchers at Villanova University, Pennsylvania, concluded that K-type stars, or orange dwarfs, possess the best characteristics for hosting habitable planetary systems.

Sure enough, Kepler-442b’s host star is an orange dwarf, 40 percent smaller than the Sun. All evidence points to the habitability of that planet, superior to our own.