Proxima b — nearest exoplanet to Earth — could sustain life

In case Mars doesn't work out, there's another planet we could live on — in another star system.

Scientists have discovered an Earth-mass world about four light-years away that is orbiting a red dwarf star named Proxima Centauri. The planet, dubbed Proxima b, is believed to have a temperature suitable for liquid water to exist, which means it could potentially sustain life.

Proxima b is the closest exoplanet to Earth and it's 1.3 times bigger. The rocky planet is too faint to be seen with the naked eye, but it's been monitored by the ESO 3.6-metre telescope at La Silla in Chile.

"The first hints of a possible planet were spotted back in 2003, but the detection was not convincing," Guillem Anglada-Escude, the lead astronomer behind the Pale Red Dot discovery, said in a statement. "Since then we have worked hard to get further observations off the ground with help from ESP and others."

"Many exoplanets have been found and many more will be found, but searching for the closest potential Earth-analogue and succeeding has been the experience of a lifetime for all of us," Anglada-Escude said. "The search for life on Proxima b comes next…"

Proxima b is currently the target to finding evidence that leads to life somewhere else in the universe. It'll also be humankind's first attempt to travel to another star system with the StarShot project.