Scientists claim to have found the ‘closest ever’ second-Earth, just outside our solar system.
A report from the German Weekly news magazine Der Spiegel claims (citing anonymous sources) that astronomers have found a new Earth-like planet.
The unnamed exoplanet was said to be orbiting Proxima Centauri – the red dwarf low-mass star about 4.343 light years from earth and the closet star to our solar system.
The proximity to earth of the newly discovered planet also means that it sits within the habitable zone that could allow the planet to hold liquid water on its surface.
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Der Spiegel wrote: “The still nameless planet is believed to be Earth-like and orbits at a distance to Proxima Centauri that would allow it to have liquid water on it’s surface – an important requirement for the emergence of life.”
Despite the planet being close by, modern technology would still (disappointingly) never allow us to reach it.
This isn’t the first ‘Earth-like’ planet astronomers have discovered; in 2015, NASA revealed the closest ‘cousin’ of Earth, Kepler 452b, at a distance of 1400 light-years away.
John Grunsfeld, at NASA’s Science Mission Directorate in Washington said: “This exciting result brings us one step closer to finding an Earth 2.0.”
The most recent discovery by the ESO is reportedly to be fully confirmed by the European Space Observatory at the end of August, but spokesperson Richard Hook refused to confirm this when asked by AFP.
