NASA’s announcement of planets outside our solar system that could be like Earth have scientists in Tucson excited about the possibilities for life.
NASA officials say they found seven Earth-sized planets orbiting a single star 40 light years from Earth. Three of them could be in a region where a rocky planet is most likely to have liquid water, a key element for life.
Planetary Science Institute astrobiologist David Grinspoon models the climates of planets that orbit a star other than our sun.
“It’s really an incredible discovery to learn of a relatively nearby system of planets where there are so many Earth-sized planets orbiting together including several that seem to potentially be in the right zone of distance from the star that they might have the climate conditions conducive to life — that’s really exciting," said Grinspoon.
NASA scientists say the discovery will open the door for future study of the potentially habitable planets, including the makeup of their atmospheres.