Two nearby red-dwarf habitable-zone planets raise questions about habitability
Two habitable-zone exoplanets are confirmed within 11 light-years: Proxima Centauri b (4.24 ly) and GJ 887 d (10.7 ly). Proxima b, the nearest known world, orbits Proxima Centauri every 11.2 days at about 0.049 AU; GJ 887 d, confirmed in 2026 after adding 101 HARPS observations and 12 ESPRESSO measurements and accounting for stellar activity, completes a 50.77‑day orbit at 0.212 AU with a minimum mass near 1.1 Earth masses and about 81% of Earth's insolation. Both lie in their stars’ habitable zones, but neither is known to have an atmosphere, ocean, or life, and neither transits, making atmospheric characterization difficult. Proxima b’s environment may be affected by the star’s flares, and red-dwarf planets may be tidally locked; proximity helps future studies but does not guarantee habitability.
