Before now, the nearest Earth-like planet was thought to be Wolf 1061c some 14 light years away. Now all that could be about to change. The newly-found planet – which has still not been named – orbits Proxima Centauri, a red dwarf and the nearest star in the universe to our own, the Sun. It is believed to be Earth-like – with liquid water on its surface – and orbits its star at an ideal distance for life.
“The still nameless planet is believed to be Earth-like and orbits at a distance to Proxima Centauri that could allow it to have liquid water on its surface.
“That’s an important requirement for the emergence of life. Never before have scientists discovered a second Earth that is so close by,” they said. ESO spokesman Richard Hook said he was aware of Der Spiegel’s report, but gave no further details, saying: “We are not making any comment.”
And it’s only four light years away, unlike Kepler 252B – the planet NASA last year described as Earth’s “closest twin” – which is 1,400 light years away. Four lighty ears is a mere stepping stone away, given the scale of the universe, but still beyond the reach of modern space rockets.
The find was described by an anonymous source to German magazine Der Spiegel, who said the European Southern Observatory (ESO) was handling the discovery. The European Southern Observatory, which runs facilities in northern Chile, is expected to announce its findings at the end of this month.
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