34570View
1m 0sLenght
53Rating

A newfound planet only 22 light-years away represents the best candidate yet for hosting liquid water on its surface, according to a team of astronomers announcing the find on Thursday. The planet has 4.5 times Earth's mass and orbits in the heart of its star's habitable zone -- the region where water could remain stable on an orbiting planet's surface. Liquid water is a necessary ingredient for organic life. For now, however, too little is known about the planet's composition and the makeup of any atmosphere -- if it has one -- to say with confidence that water is likely to be there, researchers say. Location alone does not make for a habitable planet. Some scientists suggest that the newfound planet could be caught with one hemisphere permanently facing its star, lessening any prospects for life.