Overview
- Published March 19 in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, the study lists 45 empirical habitable-zone candidates and a conservative subset of 24 in a narrower 3D habitable zone.
- Priority targets include the TRAPPIST-1 d–g planets about 40 light-years away and LHS 1140 b at roughly 48 light-years, with Proxima Centauri b and TOI-715 b also emphasized for follow-up.
- The team spotlights worlds receiving Earth-like stellar energy, such as TRAPPIST-1 e, TOI-715 b, Kepler-1652 b, Kepler-442 b, Kepler-1544 b, Proxima Centauri b, GJ 1061 d, GJ 1002 b, and Wolf 1069 b.
- Candidates near inner and outer habitable-zone edges and planets on eccentric orbits are included to test how variable stellar heating affects prospects for surface water.
- The catalog is designed to guide observations with JWST now and with the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, the Extremely Large Telescope, the Habitable Worlds Observatory, and the proposed LIFE mission, as atmospheres and liquid water remain unconfirmed.