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Astronomy

Earth-like planet around Sun's neighbour

Nature volume 536, pages 408–409 (2016)Cite this article

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An Earth-mass planet has been discovered in orbit around Proxima Centauri, the closest star to our Sun. The planet orbits at a distance from the star such that liquid water and potentially life could exist on its surface. See Letter p.437

Exoplanet discoveries trigger our imaginations. What does the newly discovered planet look like and what are its characteristics? Could it harbour life and, if so, how many such habitable worlds are there in our Galaxy? Astronomers aim to find Earth-like planets in the temperate zone of a star — the distance from the star at which the planet's surface temperature could theoretically support liquid water. On page 437, Anglada-Escudé et al.1 report the exciting discovery of an Earth-mass planet in the temperate zone of Proxima Centauri, the closest star to our Sun.

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Figure 1: Artist's impression of the exoplanet Proxima Centauri b.

ESO/M. Kornmesser

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Artie P. Hatzes is at the Thuringian State Observatory, Tautenburg 07778, Germany.,

    Artie P. Hatzes

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  1. Artie P. Hatzes
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Correspondence to Artie P. Hatzes.

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Hatzes, A. Earth-like planet around Sun's neighbour. Nature 536, 408–409 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1038/536408a

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