For decades, astronomers have searched the skies for planets in our galaxy similar to Earth that could be home to extraterrestrial life.
Yesterday, a team of scientists revealed they were closer to this goal than ever before, as they announced the discovery of an Earthlike planet orbiting Proxima Centauri, the nearest star to the Sun — making it the closest planet outside the solar system that could theoretically harbour life.
Although more than 3,000 so-called exoplanets have been identified since 1995, some potentially habitable, the proximity of the new planet, named Proxima Centauri B, means it is the best place to search for possible life. Orbiting its star every 11 days, it lies just over four light-years away from the solar system.
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