exoEarths

Exoearths, also known as exoplanets that are Earth-like, are planets orbiting stars outside our solar system that share characteristics with Earth. These characteristics typically include being rocky, having a size comparable to Earth, and orbiting within the habitable zone of their host star. The habitable zone, often referred to as the "Goldilocks zone," is the region around a star where conditions might be just right for liquid water to exist on a planet's surface, a key ingredient for life as we know it.

The discovery of exoearths has been a major focus of exoplanet research. Thousands of exoplanets have been confirmed since the first discoveries in the 1990s, and a significant fraction of these are considered to be potentially Earth-like. Methods for detecting these distant worlds include the transit method, where astronomers observe the slight dimming of a star as a planet passes in front of it, and the radial velocity method, which detects the wobble of a star caused by the gravitational pull of an orbiting planet.

While identifying exoearths is a significant step, determining their habitability is a much more complex challenge. Scientists look for atmospheric signatures that could indicate the presence of water, oxygen, or other biosignatures. However, current technology has limitations in fully characterizing the atmospheres of distant exoplanets. The ongoing search for and study of exoearths continues to expand our understanding of planetary formation and the potential for life beyond Earth.