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A total of 24 “superhabitable” planets may have conditions more suitable for life than Earth and better stars than the sun, according to researchers.
The study, led by Washington State University, identified planets that were older, slightly larger, warmer and wetter than Earth.

They added that life could thrive more easily on planets which orbit changing stars with longer lifespans than the sun at a slower speed.

Image: The planets researchers selected are said to have better stars than the Sun
The 24 planets identified are all more than 100 light years away, meaning it is difficult to see them up close.
However, researchers have said that these findings could help inform future telescope observations.

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One of the lead researchers, Professor Dirk Schulze-Makuch, said: “With the next space telescopes coming up, we will get more information, so it is important to select some targets.

“We have to focus on certain planets that have the most promising conditions for complex life.”

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Astronomers created a “superhabitability criteria”, which they used against 4,500 known exoplanets.
Habitability wasn’t defined as definite signs of life, instead meaning that the conditions needed for life to thrive were present.
The team looked at systems with G stars which have short lifespans of less than 10 billion years – similar to our sun – as well as systems with K dwarf stars.
K dwarf stars are much smaller and cooler, featuring long life spans ranging from 20 billion to 70 billion years. This means orbiting planets can be older, allowing an opportunity for life to advance as much as it has on Earth.
Earth is currently estimated to be 4.5 billion years old, however researchers argue that a planet aged 5 billion to 8 billion can foster life well.
The team looked for planets around 10% larger than Earth as this would mean more habitable land is likely.

Image: These planets could help focus future telescope observations
Having a greater mass was also sought as this would allow the planet to keep its interior heating retained for longer, as well as having stronger gravity to retain the atmosphere for a longer time period.
Water was also another key characteristics identified, with slightly more than Earth being sought in superhabitable planets.
A greater surface temperature, about 5C more than Earth, was also considered to be better for life.
None of the 24 planets identified met all of the criteria, however there is one that meets four of the critical characteristics, meaning it may be more comfortable for life than Earth.
Professor Dirk Schulze-Makuch said: “It’s sometimes difficult to convey this principle of superhabitable planets because we think we have the best planet.
“We have a great number of complex and diverse lifeforms, and many that can survive in extreme environments. It is good to have adaptable life, but that doesn’t mean that we have the best of everything.”
The research has been published in Astrobiology.

Twitter has flagged a tweet written by Donald Trump for “spreading misleading and potentially harmful information related to COVID-19”.
In one post, the US president falsely claimed that coronavirus is less deadly than the seasonal flu “in most populations”.

The tweet – which can still be viewed but has been hidden on Mr Trump’s page – said: “We have learned to live with it (the flu) just like we are learning to live with Covid, in most populations far less lethal!!!”
Facebook removed the post, with a company spokesman saying: “We remove incorrect information about the severity of COVID-19 and have now removed this post.”
Experts agree that COVID, which has killed more than 200,000 people in America and more than one million worldwide, is more lethal than the seasonal flu.

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In other tweets, Mr Trump wrote that he was “feeling great” as he continues to recover from coronavirus.

He added that he was “looking forward” to the next presidential debate against his Democratic rival Joe Biden on 15 October in Miami.

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There have been concerns the remaining debates might not be able to go ahead if Mr Trump is still suffering from coronavirus.

Image: Donald Trump removes his mask upon return to the White House on Monday night
Mr Trump returned to the White House on Monday after he was treated in hospital for COVID-19 for three nights.
Shortly after his return, the US president released two videos – one with footage of his journey accompanied by sweeping orchestral music, the other of him speaking on a balcony flanked by US flags.
In the videos, he told Americans to “get out there” and “don’t be afraid” of COVID-19 – despite the 210,000 coronavirus-related deaths recorded so far in the US.
“We’re going back to work, we’re going to be out front… I know there is a risk, there is a danger, but that’s ok,” he said.
He also suggested he could now be “immune” to the virus after feeling “better”.

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‘Get out there!’: Trump’s defiant COVID message

But some experts, including America’s top infectious disease expert Dr Anthony Fauci, have warned the president could face a relapse in symptoms.
Lung specialist Professor Stephen Holgate told Sky News Mr Trump could become seriously ill with a “second wave” of COVID-19 within days.
“He is still in the first wave. The second is yet to come, when the immune system goes into overdrive. It will probably hit him in two to three days’ time,” he said.

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Mr Trump appeared breathless as he returned to the White House after his hospital stay.
His illness has come just weeks ahead of Election Day, when Americans will choose either Mr Trump or Joe Biden for their next president.

An ozone hole over Antarctica is one of the largest and deepest in recent years, according to scientists.
The ozone layer is a part of the Earth’s atmosphere and acts as a shield, absorbing harmful ultraviolet radiation from the sun.

However, chemicals and substances created by humans have led to thinning in the layer, known as ozone holes.
The hole in the ozone layer, which forms annually between September and December over Antarctica, has reached its maximum size for 2020 of around 8.9 million square miles.

Scientists from the European Union’s Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS) have said the return of a large hole, following an “unusually small and short-lived” one in 2019, shows the need to enforce the global Montreal Protocol.

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This international treaty sets out to protect the ozone layer by banning chemicals, such as CFCs, which cause damage.

These substances, containing chlorine and bromine, accumulate within areas of low pressure, called a polar vortex.

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Temperatures in the vortex can fall below -78C (-108.4F), causing the formation of stratospheric clouds which lead to chemical reactions that deplete ozone.
As the sun rises over the South Pole following winter darkness, its energy releases chlorine and bromine atoms in the vortex – these rapidly destroy ozone molecules, leading the hole to form.
Vincent-Henri Peuch, director of CAMS, said: “There is much variability in how far ozone hole events develop each year.
“The 2020 ozone hole resembles the one from 2018, which also was a quite large hole, and is definitely in the upper part of the pack of the last 15 years or so.
“With the sunlight returning to the South Pole in the last weeks, we saw continued ozone depletion over the area.
“After the unusually small and short-lived ozone hole in 2019, which was driven by special meteorological conditions, we are registering a rather large one again this year, which confirms that we need to continue enforcing the Montreal Protocol banning emissions of ozone depleting chemicals.”

The risk of coronavirus spreading on public transport has remained substantially low through the pandemic, several international studies have shown.
Safety measures imposed on public transport around the world since COVID-19 hit have made them “the safest places on earth”, Dr Julian Tang, a professor of respiratory sciences at Leicester University, told Sky News.

He said if people took the same precautions in other high-risk areas such as crowded streets and pubs, the number of cases would reduce there.

The latest data from France shows only 1.2% of the country’s 2,830 coronavirus clusters – three or more cases from one place or event in seven days – recorded between 1 May and 28 September occurred on any type of transport (planes, boats and trains).
Two-thirds of them were recorded as being transmitted at businesses, school and university environments, public and private events and health centres.

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Hong Kong, one of the most densely populated places in the world and where public transport is heavily relied on, has recorded an overall infection rate of 68 cases per 100,000, far less than Western countries such as the US which has 2,198 per 100,000 and Spain which has 1,602.

Although there is no expert consensus, some researchers suggest the widespread use of masks could be one of the main reasons for the low transmission rates in Hong Kong.
Dr Tang said: “In Asia, there was already a culture of being very vigilant on public transport, so they were using masks in Singapore and Hong Kong as soon as they learned of the virus.”

Image: Passengers on Hong Kong’s MTR system have been wearing masks since the pandemic started
In Japan, the strategy to contain the virus did not rely on mass testing or national lockdowns, but on urging people to stay away from the “three Cs” – closed spaces, crowds and close-contact settings in which people are talking face-to-face.
Japan’s approach was based on finding the places with the most outbreaks and determining their common characteristics, Science Magazine reported.
Gyms, pubs, music clubs and karaoke bars had the most outbreaks and all went against the three Cs.
Public transport also had those characteristics, but no clusters have been traced back to the country’s busy rail network.

Image: Japan’s government has used the ‘three Cs’ strategy to fight COVID-19 outbreaks. Pic: Japan Ministry of Health
“In Japan, you’re not allowed to talk on the subway, so despite the Tokyo Metro being one of the busiest in the world, they managed to stay safe as they were also wearing masks,” Dr Tang said.
Public transport expert Mohamed Mezghani, secretary general of the International Association of Public Transport (UITP), told Sky News: “Public transport was stigmatised at the beginning of the pandemic and as a result rail stations, trains and buses were disinfected regularly from early on.
“The wearing of face coverings, in pretty much all countries, was also made mandatory early on.”
Droplets and aerosols transmission
COVID-19 is often transmitted from an infected person through droplets generated when they talk, cough, sneeze or exhale.
Some of these convert into aerosol particles, which are lighter than droplets and can be spread further and remain in the air for longer – and anyone who inhales them can become infected.
Several studies have concluded that the transmission of droplets and aerosols can be prevented, or at least limited, by using a face covering, even in more confined spaces such as public transport.

There is also less interaction between people on public transport, so the relative lack of speaking, shouting and laughing reduces transmission.
Eating and drinking is banned on many transport systems around the world and happens very little where it is not banned, meaning those aerosols from eating and drinking are not spreading.
People also generally stay on public transport for less time than if they are in the office or at a restaurant, again minimising exposure.

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Social distancing is also key, with many governments reducing public transport capacity during the pandemic.
Ventilation also plays a major role in preventing aerosols remaining in spaces.
“Transport systems increased their ventilation so they are actually much safer than other smaller spaces,” Mr Mezghani said.
“Ventilation isn’t done through windows, you don’t necessarily feel it as it’s done mechanically.
“Long-distance trains actually have some of the best ventilation, the French high-speed trains renew air every 2.5 minutes, others are every five minutes.”

Image: Frequent cleaning of surfaces on public transport was given a high priority from the start
Surface transmission
Some of the droplets from an infected person are too heavy to remain in the air so fall on floors and surfaces.
Touching those surfaces and then touching your eyes, mouth or nose increases the risk of transmitting the virus – and we touch our face 20 times an hour, on average.
That is why cleaning hands and surfaces is so important and is something public transport systems started increasing straight away.
Transport for London (TfL) now uses a cleaning substance similar to the ones used in hospitals and installed 1,000 hand sanitiser points across its network.
Network Rail has added a warning system on its app to notify passengers if a station is busy, trains and “high-touch” areas in stations are being cleaned more frequently and extra train carriages are being provided where possible to facilitate social distancing, while hand sanitiser is provided in stations.
But, “the effectiveness of hand hygiene is increased when combined with other measures, such as face masks,” a SAGE paper found.
Public transport usage remains low
Despite the evidence from several countries of few infections connected to public transport, this might be due to a lack of data and resources.
It is easier to detect clusters in places that already have the infrastructure, such as hospitals or schools, but it is harder to identify them from public transport.
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Dr Tang added: “If people follow precautions everywhere, it can be effective – as seen across Asia and then Europe – but if people don’t continue to follow them then there’s a risk.
“It’s not just the public transport company or government’s responsibility, it’s a social contract by the public to adhere to rules to keep people safe.”
But, the low number of reported transmissions from public transport might also be affected by a drop in use.
Private vehicle usage is back to pre-pandemic levels, while trains and buses are still down by 60-40%.

In London, Birmingham, Madrid and New York, Apple found the number of people searching for directions on public transport through Apple Maps was lower than at the beginning of the year.

COVID lockdowns will not stop climate change

It appears the stigma against public transport is still there and risks negating any positive impact on climate change not using cars had during peak lockdown.

A British scientist has been awarded the 2020 Nobel Prize in physics.
Sir Roger Penrose, alongside German Reinhard Genzel and American Andrea Ghez, won the prize for discoveries relating to black holes.

One half of the 10 million Swedish kronor prize (£866,000) has been given to Sir Roger, and the other half is jointly shared between Professor Genzel and Professor Ghez.

Image: Sir Roger is a professor at Oxford University
The 89-year old Briton, a professor at Oxford University, proved with maths that the formation of black holes was possible, basing his work largely on Albert Einstein’s general theory of relativity.
The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences noted physicist Einstein did not himself believe that black holes really exist.

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Prof Genzel, of the Max Planck Institute and University of California, Berkeley, and Prof Ghez, at the University of California, Los Angeles, discovered that an invisible and extremely heavy object governs the orbits of stars at the centre of our galaxy.

Since the late 18th century, scientists have wondered whether any object existed in the universe that would exert a gravitational pull so strong that light may not escape.

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BREAKING NEWS:The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences has decided to award the 2020 #NobelPrize in Physics with one half to Roger Penrose and the other half jointly to Reinhard Genzel and Andrea Ghez. pic.twitter.com/MipWwFtMjz
— The Nobel Prize (@NobelPrize) October 6, 2020

Einstein predicted in 1915, in his general theory of relativity, that space and time would be warped by the force of gravity.
Then in 1965 Prof Penrose proved black holes can really form – describing them in detail and stating that at their centre, time and space cease to exist.
The Nobel Prize panel said: “His groundbreaking article is still regarded as the most important contribution to the general theory of relativity since Einstein.”
The prestigious award comes with a gold medal and also prize money left by Swedish inventor Alfred Nobel.

The developers of a potential COVID-19 antibody treatment have moved trials to a third phase, hailing “rapid achievement” with no safety concerns to date.
The world’s largest vaccines player, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), and Vir Biotechnology said their trial programme was also to be expanded across new sites in North America, South America and Europe.

The pair have been working on an antibody-based treatment since April, while GSK has a separate vaccine partnership with Sanofi that entered clinical trials last month.
Live coverage of the latest coronavirus news and updates

Image: UK-based GlaxoSmithKline is the world’s largest vaccines player
It is hoped that the Comet-Ice trial under development with Vir, which began human testing in August, will enable early treatment of the coronavirus in high-risk patients by killing affected cells.

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The companies have also pointed to encouraging results in resistance and protection of the lungs in the 20 patients with the disease to have taken part so far.

George Scangos, chief executive officer of Vir, said of the shift to phase three: “The rapid achievement of this important milestone reflects the urgency with which we’re mobilising our resources in the hope of preventing the worst consequences of this deadly virus.

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“Vir-7831 (also known as GSK4182136) is an antibody with characteristics that may enable it to prevent hospitalisation or death via multiple mechanisms.”
Dr Hal Barron, chief scientific officer and president of research and design at GSK, added: “This neutralising antibody’s high barrier to resistance, notable effector function, and enhanced delivery into the lung, suggest it has best-in-class potential in the fight against this global pandemic.”

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New UK based vaccine trial set to begin

They hope to have initial results of the phase three trial, which will use results from 1,300 patients, by the year’s end.
Half of them will receive a placebo.
Pharmaceutical companies are racing to find effective treatments in the hope normal life can resume following a catastrophic 2020 for the global economy and the loss of more than one million lives.
It was an antibody-based treatment that was given to Donald Trump at the White House last week following his coronavirus diagnosis.
The experimental treatment, by Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, was requested by the president’s physician and has reportedly been used in some UK hospitals with encouraging results.

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Vaccine could be available in first half of 2021

While treatments are vital, the ultimate goal for scientists remains a vaccine.
A Sky News Covid Vaccine Tracker shows there are currently eight vaccines to have reached the final stage of testing, which demands extensive human trials through volunteers.
The government has ordered millions of doses from Astrazeneca and Novavax but the head of the country’s vaccine taskforce has expressed fears in an interview with the Financial Times that half the population could miss out.