An artist’s rendering of what Kepler 438b may look like. Harvard scientists have discovered the most earth-like planet ever in the Lyra constellation, some 470 light years away. Astronomers at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (CfA) made the announcement at a meeting of the American Astronomical Society in Seattle on Tuesday. Kepler 438b is slightly bigger than Earth and is in the orbit... 

A new, Earth-like, inhabitable planet has been discovered outside our solar system by American astronomer Thomas Barclay. The planet is almost the same size as Earth – just one-tenth bigger – and is orbiting a Red Dwarf star. The planet orbits around an M1 Red Dwarf, or small and relatively cool, star, where liquid (including water) can exist. Such planets are in the “Goldilocks” zone, scientists... 

Astronomers say they have for the first time spotted a planet beyond our own in what is sometimes called the Goldilocks zone for life: Not too hot, not too cold. Juuuust right. Not too far from its star, not too close. So it could contain liquid water. The planet itself is neither too big nor too small for the proper surface, gravity and atmosphere. It’s just right. Just like Earth. “This...