Found far, far away, three ‘Earths’ that could host life

THREE Earth- sized planets which could support life have been found by astronomers.

They are orbiting a small star called Trappist-1 which is 40 light years away.

Crucially all three orbit in the star’s ‘habitable zone’, where temperatures are mild enough to allow water to form in lakes and oceans. An international team used the Hubble Space Telescope to identify a total of seven planets circling the star.

Team member Dr Amaury Triaud from the University of Birmingham, said: ‘Hubble’s observations are of great significance, since they inform us on the environment of the Trappist-1 planets, notably on whether they can remain habitable for billions of years, like Earth.’

The three outer planets in the system still harbour large quantities of water, despite powerful radiation from Trappist-1 causing water loss. The radiation breaks down water molecules.

However, more information about the planets is needed. ‘Crucial observations, able to refine the planetary masses, are being obtained as we write,’ said Dr Triaud. The research is published in the Astronomical Journal.