Nearby Earth-Sized World HD 137010 b Sparks Habitability Debate

Astronomers using Kepler data have identified an Earth-sized exoplanet, HD 137010 b, orbiting a Sun-like–type star about 150 light-years away, with an orbital period of roughly 355 days. The host star is a cooler K-type orange dwarf, meaning the planet may receive less than a third of Earth’s sunlight and could be very cold (below −90°F), though a CO2-rich atmosphere might help trap heat and allow a temperate, potentially watery climate. The candidate was inferred from a single transit in 2017, and follow-up observations (multiple transits) are needed to confirm its habitability and true nature.