This Earth-like planet orbits the Sun’s nearest neighbor every 11 days

Jim Davenport, a postdoctoral fellow at Western Washington University, believes Proxima b’s biggest obstacle to Earth-like conditions is likely to be Proxima Centauri’s continual flares, which can be ten times more energetic than any ever observed on our Sun. Harsh x-rays and ultraviolet radiation from the flares could strip Proxima b of its atmosphere, leaving it barren and airless.