Potentially Habitable World Discovered Just 40 Light-Years Away

Astronomers from NASA have identified a new exoplanet with Earth-like characteristics using the James Webb Space Telescope. The planetary body, named JWST-2025b, orbits a star located approximately 40 light-years from our solar system.

Key Characteristics of the Discovery

The planet measures about 1.2 times Earth's diameter and resides within what scientists call the habitable zone of its host star. This orbital position creates conditions where liquid water could potentially exist on the planetary surface.

Dr. Sarah Martinez, who leads the research team at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, presented these findings during a recent press briefing. Early spectroscopic data indicates the possible presence of water vapor and carbon dioxide in the exoplanet's atmospheric composition.

This detection represents the nearest potentially habitable planet discovered so far and constitutes an important achievement in ongoing efforts to locate life beyond Earth.