Astronomy
The Search for Proxima b: Atmosphere and Habitability
Quick fact
Proxima b orbits in the habitable zone of its star, but it receives about 650 times more high-energy X-ray radiation than Earth, which could strip away its atmosphere within a billion years if unprotected.
Why this is interesting
Proxima b is the closest known exoplanet to us, but could it really host life? Its atmosphere—if it has one—might hold the answer.