An Earth-mass planet has been found in the next solar system. By Alvin Soon.
An Earth-mass planet has been found in the next solar system. By Alvin Soon.
An international team of astronomers, using telescopes at the European Southern Observatory (ESO), has found a new planet that could support life.
Proxima Centauri is the closest star to our solar system, and the planet, called Proxima b, orbits the star within its habitable zone. The planet could possibly hold liquid water, a key ingredient for life on Earth. Proxima b isn’t the only Earth-mass planet found within a star’s habitable zone, but at four light-years, it’s the nearest.
While there are still many unanswered questions about Proxima b, one answer is certain. For the longest time, researchers have pondered where to search for extraterrestrial life, if it even exists. Now they have somewhere to point to.
