NASA announced the discovery of a planet 40 light years from Earth that orbits every 12.8 days with an estimated surface temperature of 42°C (107°F), which could support "liquid water" and is possibly even habitable.

Gliese 12 b is a "super Earth exoplanet" that is nearly the same size as Earth or slightly smaller, according to a NASA news release. Exoplanets are planets outside of our solar system, NASA's website says.

 “We’ve found the nearest, transiting, temperate, Earth-size world located to date,” Masayuki Kuzuhara, a project assistant professor at the Astrobiology Center in Tokyo, said in a statement.

While the size and location suggest potential habitability, the presence or composition of Gliese 12b's atmosphere remains unknown, astronomers are reportedly planning to use advanced telescopes like the James Webb Space Telescope to study the planet's atmosphere, which could reveal its "composition and suitability for life."