From the January 2010 issue

Could our solar system’s habitable zone hold two earthlike planets?

John Lockwood, Washington, D.C.
By | Published: January 25, 2010 | Last updated on May 18, 2023

Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

  • Computer simulations demonstrate the orbital stability of two Earth-mass planets within a habitable zone (HZ).
  • The simulated planets were positioned at the outer and inner boundaries of the HZ, defined as 0.95 AU and 1.4 AU respectively.
  • Stability was contingent upon nearly circular planetary orbits.
  • The simulation focused on gravitational interactions between the two Earth-mass planets.
Key takeaways sponsored by The Space Store
Earthlike planet
This artist rendition shows earthlike planets.
Francis Reddy

Computer simulations of gravitational interactions between planets show that two Earth-mass planets would be stable if placed at both ends of the HZ’s 0.95 AU to 1.4 AU range, as long as their orbits were almost circular.

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