, Columnist
What the New Planet Says About Life in the Universe
If there is life on Proxima b, it has a better future than Earth.
An artist's rendering of Proxima b.
Image: M. KORNMESSER/AFP/Getty ImagesThis article is for subscribers only.
The newly discovered planet Proxima b is about to change the focus of astronomy for decades to come -- and maybe longer, if it reveals signs of life. The planet, some 25 trillion miles away from our own, is like a twin to Earth, but one separated at birth and living a very different kind of life.
The discovery, which was announced Wednesday in the journal Nature, represents by far the closest habitable planet to Earth -- near enough that humans could take pictures of it, if not with today’s telescopes, then with ones that will come online soon. If the planet is like Earth, these near-future telescopes could pick up hints of vegetation and sunlight glinting off the ocean.