A possible Earth-like planet 146 light-years away has recently been discovered by citizen scientists.1 The evolutionary community is cautiously optimistic that this planet could host life. What are the chances that this could very well be Earth 2.0?
Astronomers are excited about this potential find because, as NASA chief scientist Thomas Zurbuchen said back in 2017, “The discovery gives us a hint that finding a second Earth is not just a matter of if, but when.”2 At that time, he was speaking of the TRAPPIST-1 (Transiting Planets and Planetesimals Small Telescope - 1) system that is 40 light-years away and contains seven planets orbiting an extremely active red dwarf star, or M dwarf. Researchers have since found that the first three rocky planets of this system show nothing significant or exciting. Interest in this aggregate of planets has tapered off since the first indications (“glimmers”) “were likely misleading.”3 How are life-supporting conditions looking for this new possible planet?
This current planet has been given the sterile name HD 137010 b and is about 6% larger than Earth.1 Whether it has an atmosphere or water is unknown. The star that this possible mystery planet orbits is an orange dwarf that is 70% the size of our sun and cooler by 1,000° Kelvin. HD 137010 b receives 30% less light from the orange dwarf compared to the sunlight Earth receives. This places the possible planet “near the outer edge of the HZ [habitable zone], or potentially even beyond,” according to scientists writing in The Astrophysical Journal Letters.4 Indeed, according to an article posted on ScienceDaily, it “could be even colder than the permanently frozen surface of Mars,”5 and Mars can reach lows of about -195°F near its poles in the winter.
So far, all that can be said is, “This is the first planet candidate with Earth-like radius and orbital properties transiting a Sun-like star bright enough for substantial follow-up observations.”4 But astronomers do not know its exact orbit or if it really exists!
Clearly, the discovery of HD 137010 b is still a very big mystery. If the planet does exist, will there be liquid water within the circumstellar habitable zone? Will it have a moon like ours that will help stabilize the possible planet’s rotational axis? If so, would the moon cause tides that are just right for the mixing of water? Will this planet have just the right rotational velocity with a spin that’s not too fast or too slow? There are dozens of other detailed habitability questions left to answer.6 The authors of The Astrophysical Journal Letters article stated, “If past Kepler results[7] provide a comparable benchmark, the detection of planets with Earth-like orbital periods will require several years of observations.”4
With all these difficulties and such limited data, why are conventional scientists so excited and optimistic about this potential planet? Evolutionary naturalists desperately want to find life—intelligent or otherwise—somewhere in the universe. This requires a huge step between inorganic nonlife and organic life that cannot be bridged by chance and time.8 Regardless, billions have been spent on this endeavor that has so far been fruitless. The discovery of life somewhere, either in our solar system or beyond, would validate the materialistic philosophy that Earth is not unique. It would finally give much-needed justification for the worthless field of astrobiology, which is founded on the premise that life may exist beyond Earth.
But to have life as we know it anywhere in the universe requires a suite of parameters that must be exquisitely and independently balanced. This latest candidate is not even close to meeting these requirements. The complexity of life—regardless of location—requires the Life Giver, the Lord Jesus. As He said in John 14:6, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” This same Creator and Sustainer of life is coming back to restore all things. Soon.
References
- Cutts, E. Earth-Size Planet Spotted with Yearlong Orbit. Science. Posted on science.org January 28, 2026.
- Klotz, I. Astronomers Find Seven Earth-Size Planets Where Life Is Possible. Reuters. Posted on reuters.com February 23, 2017.
- Kuthunur, S. One of the Most Promising Earth-Like Worlds May Not Have an Atmosphere After All. Space.com. Posted on space.com December 8, 2025.
- Venner, A. et al. 2026. A Cool Earth-Sized Planet Candidate Transiting a Tenth Magnitude K-Dwarf from K2. The Astrophysical Journal Letters. 997 (2).
- NASA. Astronomers Discover an Earth-Like Planet That May be Colder Than Mars. ScienceDaily. Posted on sciencedaily.com February 12, 2026.
- Ward, P. D. and D. Brownlee. 2000. Rare Earth: Why Complex Life Is Uncommon in the Universe. New York, NY: Copernicus Books.
- The Kepler mission (NASA’s first planet-hunting mission) was designed to search for Earth-sized exoplanets in the habitability zones of sun-like stars.
- Hebert, J. Renowned Chemist on Origin-of-Life: Put Up or Shut Up. Creation Science Update. Posted on ICR.org December 4, 2023.
* Dr. Sherwin is a science news writer at the Institute for Creation Research. He earned an M.A. in invertebrate zoology from the University of Northern Colorado and received an honorary doctorate of science from Pensacola Christian College.
