Meet Proxima b, located just 4.22 light years from Earth, lying in a “habitable zone,” thus, capable of supporting life.

This is the closest planet scientists have discovered that meets this criteria, and if it contains an atmosphere, liquid water could exist on the surface. It has a mass 1.3 times that of Earth, suggesting its terrain is rocky, but the environment is much more hostile, bombarded by intense radiation from its nearby red dwarf star, Proxima Centauri.

Still, the potential is there, and there is enough evidence that supports the possibility of life, combined with its proximity to us, which has scientists compelled to investigate further.

Proxima b was discovered by a team using the European Southern Observatory’s (ESO) La Silla Observatory in Chile.

Discovering evidence of life on another planet, even in microbial form, might very well be the single greatest achievement in human history. There is an abundance of resource on these planets that can enable the ultimate survival of the human race. These worlds are still far beyond our grasp, but each new discovery brings us one step closer.

by JERHOW

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