Our closest stellar neighbour should have earth-like planets in orbit. Period.

This quite bold statement comes from the team of astronomers from the University of California, Santa Cruz, that performed simulations of planet formation around Alpha Centauri, the three-star system only 4.6 light years from Earth.

But the fun doesn’t stop here. Not only should there be planets, they should be small, made of rock like good ol’ mother Earth itself and they should be located in the habitable zone, meaning at a distance from their star where life as we know it could evolve.

Gosh, I bet there’s quite the share of retired science fiction writers that are pestering their surroundings with I-told-you-so’s. Because Alpha Centauri is the closest star, it has in many science fiction stories been the primary goal for first-time interstellar travels, and at 4.6 light years we would actually be able to develop reasonable communications with possible civilizations up there*. Not to mention the possibility to send probes or go there some day in the more distant future… just imagine the travel agencies of the future promising the holiday of your life under three suns and a travel time of only 50 years, assuming we can one day travel at 10% of the speed of light.

* Unfortunately though, SETI hasn’t found any Alpha Centaurians**.

** I know because the haven’t found anything***.

***Yet!