WOLF 1061c

Habitable Zone: NASA's Eyes on Exoplanets

        Wolf 1061c is the closest planet to Earth that exists within the habitable zone of the star which it orbits. Similar to Earth, Wolf 1061c orbits its star at a distance that could allow liquid water to pool on the surface--one of the key ingredients to cultivating life. For this reason, Wolf 1061c could be the best option for supporting human life outside of our own solar system.  The exoplanet is relatively close to Earth at a distance of 14 light years.  Although there are many terrestrial planets in the Milky Way, most of them exist hundreds, or even thousands of light years away, and few of them are located in the habitable zone.

Wolf 1061c: NASA's Eyes on Exoplanets

A mission to this planet would require the technology to travel at the speed of light, with a 14 year travel time.  The size of Wolf 1061c (about 4.3 times the mass of Earth) suggests that it is likely a rocky planet.  A mission to this planet would probably include research in identifying the components of the atmosphere, as well as the surface of the planet.  Without knowledge of these things, it cannot be known whether or not the planet currently supports life or could support human life.

Interstellar

 As much as we can speculate what life on Wolf 1061c might look like--little green ghouls, microscopic organisms, or a breed of super-intelligent, fire-breathing lizards--there is no way of predicting such a thing without sending our most advanced technology through space.  The most we can hope for is that Anne Hathaway was right, and they accept us with open arms... or tentacles.



-Nolan Kresnak