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And how many of those close-to-the-sun planets exclude the existence of earth-like planets a bit further out? Maybe if they're Jupiter-sized, then they would m

And how many of those close-to-the-sun planets exclude the existence of earth-like planets a bit further out? Maybe if they're Jupiter-sized, then they would make some orbits further out unstable, but if they're smaller... The system can be different than ours but still just as habitable, or even more so.

vec 14y ago
Probably not, assuming our current theories about how these systems form are correct. Our best guess is that hot jupiters form about where our jupiter or saturn is and their initial orbit decays inward. If so, that would tend to destroy the orbit of anything vaguely earth-sized on the way in.