The planet is seven times the mass of Earth, which could make it a very large rocky planet or a dwarf gas giant. Ross 128 b is the second-closest planet to be detected outside the solar system with … Unfortunately, most of the research so far has indicated that the likelihood of habitability are not good. A possibly Earth-like planet has been found within the habitable zone of humanity's closest stellar neighbor, Proxima Centauri, and astronomers think the world could potentially support life. The huge planet is thought to be in the perfect place in its six-planet solar system to have liquid water, atmosphere and distinct 'days' and 'nights' - thought to be crucial life. Ross 128 b is a newly discovered exoplanet, the second-closest found to our solar system, only 11 light-years away. Astronomers have discovered a planet so similar to Earth in size that it could be our planet's twin. Between Proxima Centauri's variability and the planet being tidally-locked with its star, life would have a hard time surviving there. In order for a planet to be habitable or hospitable for life, it needs to meet certain criteria. Thanks to a wobble in its host star, researchers from UNSW have spotted a planet only 16 light-years away that could harbor life (shown in an artist's conception, above). ... entire orbit nearly every 10 Earth days. Of these, Kepler-186f is closest in size to Earth, with 1.2 times Earth's radius, and it is located towards the outer edge of the habitable zone around its red dwarf host star. And it could support life. The potentially habitable planet TOI 700 d is only 100 light years away. In August of 2016, astronomers from the European Southern Observatory (ESO) confirmed the existence of an Earth-like planet around Proxima Centauri – the closest star to our solar system. That means it could also potentially support life. Since then, multiple studies have been conducted to determine if this planet could actually support life. Advertisement "It's like a camp fire. Just to name a few, they have to be the right distance from a star, they have to be big enough to have a molten center, and the planet needs to have rock. Ross 128 b: Nearby earth-like planet could support alien life. A huge 'super earth' detected this week is the closest 'habitable' planet to Earth ever found - 42 light years away from our planet. The roughly Earth-sized planet, Kepler-186f, orbits a star from a distance scientists call the "habitable zone" — the range at which it could have liquid water.