Some people are sure the universe supports extraterrestrial life while others remain skeptical, but if it does, this series of planets represents some of the most likely suspects, all showing different but remarkable and key similarities to Earth or other potentially life-supporting conditions.

Created by Futurism, the  infographic below highlights some of the critical features of these eight promising candidates, some similar in size, others in terms of orbital year and still others estimated to have close-to-Earth climate conditions and/or requisite materials to form the building blocks of life.

While they may range from a few dozen to thousands of light years away, there are increasingly promising spaceflight technologies being experimented with that might forever change how we view such currently-unfathomable distances. Even if they are forever out of reach, new astronomical tech may also hold the key to seeing whether these places have ever (or could) be home to other living beings.