What is an exoplanet? An astrophysicist explains why they are vital for finding alien life

Scientists might have just found Earth's icy, distant cousin a few hundred million light-years away. HD 137010 b is one of thousands of exoplanets, or planets that orbit other stars, and is potentially the first Earth-like one that also orbits a sun-like star. Initially observed in 2017 with data from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and its Kepler Space Telescope, further details about HD 137010b came out this year.

Source: https://phys.org/news/2026-02-exoplanet-astrophysicist-vital-alien-life.html