Raised By Wolves: Where Kepler-22B Is Located (Is It Real?)

Raised by Wolves, Ridley Scott’s latest sci-fi epic on HBO Max, features the last survivors of the human race fleeing to a planet known as Kepler-22B. In the show, it appears to be the closest habitable planet to Earth, but is it real and, if it is, how scientifically accurate are conditions portrayed on the plant?

Raised by Wolves is a deep science fiction series on HBO from Ridley Scott. It very much feels like a Ridley Scott production as it explores some familiar themes from some of his previous work (Blade Runner, Alien, etc.), including the nature of humanity, a dystopian future, and the limitations of faith. It also has many of his trademark story elements, including a strong female lead, androids, and monsters lurking in the dark.

In Raised by Wolves, Kepler-22B is a planet, uninhabited by humans, that is first colonized by a pair of androids tasked with raising several human children. The planet appears mostly barren, but the air is breathable and the climate is survivable. There are also the bones leftover from what appear to be giant worms that once roamed the planet. The androids believe these worms to be extinct, but they have left giant holes in the ground that are dangerous for travelers. Interestingly, Kepler-22B is the name of a real planet that has been verified to exist by NASA scientists.

Raised By Wolves Portrays Keplar-22B Realistically

NASA’s Kepler mission has been ongoing for years, and has discovered over 1000 planetary candidates. In 2011, it detected and verified the existence of a planet only marginally larger than the size of Earth orbiting a star similar to the Sun in the habitable zone. Scientists believe it is very possible for this planet to contain water and the capability to sustain life similar to that of Earth. It was designated Kepler-22B.

Kepler-22B may very well be the closest habitable planet to Earth. Still, the planet is 600 lightyears away and would require some sort of advanced space-faring technology to get to. In Raised by Wolves, the androids are able to arrive first because they can travel without life support and food, etc. They raise the human children the best they can until another ship arrives carrying living, breathing people what seems to be about 12 years or so later.

From what is known about Kepler-22B, Raised by Wolves does an admirable job portraying the planet. It may be a larger planet than Earth, but the sun it orbits is colder, making the climate harsh for humans. Also, its orbit is 290 days, so a year on Keplar-22B is shorter than Earth’s 365 days, although this has little bearing on the show. That said, Raised by Wolves presents a realistic and possible future that is bolstered by its use of the real planet, Kepler-22B.

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