How TESS’s Newest Discovery Could Change Our Search for Alien Worlds

Astronomers using NASA’s TESS and other facilities have discovered a planet between the sizes of Earth and Venus, only 40 light-years away, named Gliese 12 b. Ideal for further study due to its proximity and characteristics, this “exo-Venus” orbits a red dwarf star and may help reveal insights into planetary evolution and habitability.

Two international teams of astronomers have discovered a planet between the sizes of Earth and Venus only 40 light-years away, using observations by NASA’s TESS (Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite) and many other facilities. Multiple factors make it a candidate well-suited for further study using NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope.