NASA discovers a potentially habitable planet, Gliese 12 b, 40 light years away, orbiting its star every 12.8 days.
Gliese 12 b, a super Earth exoplanet, is nearly the same size as Earth, says NASA.
We ve found the nearest, transiting, temperate, Earth-size world, says Masayuki Kuzuhara from the Astrobiology Center in Tokyo.
The planet orbits Gliese 12, a cool red dwarf star, which is 27% the size of the sun and 60% its surface temperature.
Without an atmosphere, Gliese 12 b's surface temperature is estimated to be around 107°F.
Red dwarf stars, like Gliese 12, are ideal for finding Earth-size planets due to their smaller size and mass.
Gliese 12 b orbits its star at just 7% of the Earth-sun distance, receiving 1.6 times more energy than Earth.