Proxima b has been said to be a planet that might be habitable. It revolves around Proxima Centauri and is the closest habitable planet to our solar system. It is becoming more likely that Proxima b might be an alternative for human habitation later on as scientists say that it has a possibility of it having oceans.
Researchers from France's CNSR Institute have said that Proxima b could have oceans on it, according to Phys Org. This is based on its size and surface properties that researchers have calculated. This has raised the possibility that Proxima b could very well be a planet that is similar to Earth.
Proxima b is well within the range of what scientists call the temperate zone or the Goldilocks zone, the place where life would most likely be sustained. It is said to have 1.5 times mass as that of the Earth and is about 7.5 million kilometers from Proxima Centauri. This might be too close, but given that Proxima Centauri is smaller and 1,000 times weaker than the Sun, its distance from it might be ideal for life.
While scientists have a rough idea about Proxima b, they still don't know what it exactly looks like, as Russia Today notes. The best estimate could only be made once its exact radius is known. Proxima Centauri is about 4 light years away from the Earth, so travel there would not be possible yet at this time.
As of now the best estimate for its radius is 0.94 to 1.4 times that of the Earth. It would then be a planet that is a little bit similar to Earth, though it might still be able to hold life if it is proven to have water on it. Its smallest possible radius is 5,990 km. and the largest could be 8,920 km.
How much water there would be on the planet would depend on its size. If it is quite small, water might not be more than 0.05 percent of the planet's mass. If the planet is a bit bigger, water might have a 50/50 ratio to that of its solid surface. Further study is still being made on the planet as well as to Proxima Centauri itself.
Proxima b was discovered last August, which had astronomers excited over its possibility to hold life.
