Knowra Earth analog Earth analog An Earth analog is a planet beyond the Solar System that resembles Earth in properties such as size, composition, or orbit. The term does not imply that the planet has life or is fully Earth-like.
Exoplanet : A planet orbiting a star other than the Sun. Earth analogs are a subset of planets found beyond the Solar System.
Transit method : A method for finding planets by measuring the periodic dimming of a star as a planet crosses its disk. Transit depth provides an estimate of a candidate's radius relative to its star.
Habitable exoplanet : An exoplanet whose conditions may permit life, often assessed through its orbit, atmosphere, and climate. Some Earth analogs are investigated as possible habitable worlds, though resemblance alone is insufficient.
Super-Earth : A planet more massive than Earth but substantially less massive than the Solar System's ice giants. Many proposed analogs are larger than Earth and may differ substantially in structure.
Planetary radius : The distance from a planet's center to its surface or reference level. Radius is one of the main measurements used to compare an exoplanet with Earth.
Radial velocity method : A planet-detection method that measures a star's motion toward and away from Earth through spectral shifts. Stellar wobble can constrain a transiting planet's mass and therefore its density.
Biosignature : A substance, structure, or pattern that could provide evidence of past or present life. Atmospheric biosignatures are a potential target in studies of the most Earth-like planets.
Mini-Neptune : A planet smaller than Neptune, often with a substantial volatile-rich envelope over a rocky or icy interior. Similar measured sizes can conceal thick envelopes that make a planet unlike Earth.
Planetary mass : The amount of matter in a planet, commonly measured in kilograms or Earth masses. Mass helps distinguish rocky planets from larger, gas-rich worlds.
Planetary equilibrium temperature : The temperature a planet would reach from absorbed starlight and emitted heat under a simplified energy-balance model. It offers a rough climate clue, not a direct measurement of surface conditions.
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