---
title: "Finally, Scientists Find an Earth-Sized Exoplanet in Its Star’s Habitable Zone"
description: "A team of scientists discovered what may be the most Earth-like exoplanet yet, though it's too far away to find out for sure."
date: "2020-10-26"
modified: "2020-10-26"
authors:
  - name: "Dan Robitzski"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/danrobitzski"
url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/scientists-find-earth-sized-exoplanet-habitable-zone"
categories:
  - "Science & Energy"
tags:
  - "earth-like exoplanet"
  - "space"
  - "the digest"
---

# Finally, Scientists Find an Earth-Sized Exoplanet in Its Star’s Habitable Zone

![A team of scientists discovered what may be the most Earth-like exoplanet yet, though it's too far away to find out for sure.](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/scientists-find-earth-sized-exoplanet-stars-habitable-zone.jpg>)
*\<em\>Image: NASA\</em\>*

## Close Enough

Thanks to a series of recent discoveries, a team of scientists says it found what could be the most Earth-like, potentially habitable exoplanet to date.

The world, TOI-700 d, is close to the same size and mass as Earth and, in a first-of-its-kind discovery, orbits within its host star's habitable zone as well. That's according to [a pair](<https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/1538-3881/aba4b2>) [of papers](<https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/1538-3881/aba4b3>) published in *The Astrophysical Journal* that use and refine data from the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite to analyze the distant star system — potentially uncovering the best candidate yet for an Earth 2.0.

## Deep Breath

In a [third paper](<https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/1538-3881/aba4b4>) in *The Astrophysical Journal*, the team of Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics scientists suggest that the planet could, due to its ideal distance from its star, have a livable atmosphere and climate, as well as water on the surface.

But for now, that part remains fairly speculative. At 102 light-years away from us, it's too far to look for signs of clouds or [other signs of an atmosphere](<https://futurism.com/nasa-telescope-vegetation-exoplanets>) with any equipment that we have today. But even without breathable air, this may be the closest astronomers have come to finding a new livable world.

## Planning Ahead

Unfortunately, the scientists argue [in a press release](<https://phys.org/news/2020-10-habitable-zone-earth-sized-planet-exoplanet-survey.html>), any space missions currently on our docket won't be able to get any clearer of a picture of the exoplanet than they already have.

Rather, it seems that it would take targeted, specific missions to actually find out if there's air and water on TOI 700 d — and since it's so far away, that might not happen for quite some time.

READ MORE: [The first habitable-zone, Earth-sized planet discovered with exoplanet survey spacecraft](<https://phys.org/news/2020-10-habitable-zone-earth-sized-planet-exoplanet-survey.html>) \[Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics\]

More on exoplanets: *[Astronomers Discover “Intriguing,” Extremely Earth-Like Exoplanet](<https://futurism.com/astronomers-discover-intriguing-extremely-earth-like-exoplanet>)*

## Author
Dan Robitzki is a senior reporter for Futurism, where he likes to cover AI, tech ethics, and medicine. He spends his extra time fencing and streaming games from Los Angeles, California.

### Author social links  
[Twitter](<https://x.com/danrobitzski>)