How many and what are the potentially habitable exoplanets we know of?

How many and what are the potentially habitable exoplanets we know of?

So far, astronomers have identified several exoplanets that could have the characteristics necessary to support life. By the end of 2023, there were a total of 63 exoplanets confirmed as potentially habitable.

Among the most interesting candidates is Teegarden b, the innermost planet in its star's planetary system, rocky like our planet, with an iron core and probably water. It is located in the habitable zone of its star and is the planet with the highest Earth similarity index: for 95%, it is equal to Earth!

Proxima Centauri b, a rocky planet just over 4 light years away from us, is also similar in size to Earth and is in a position that makes it one of our best candidates for the search for extraterrestrial life.

Then there is the TRAPPIST-1 system, with seven rocky planets in very close orbits. Three of these are located in the habitable zone, where temperatures could allow liquid water to exist on the surface.

There are many other candidates with a high level of potential habitability, and only by studying them in depth will we be able to understand whether they are actually suitable enough to support life, at least as we know it.