James Webb Telescope Discovers New Earth-Like Planet in Habitable Zone
NASA's James Webb Space Telescope has made perhaps its most significant discovery yet: an exoplanet remarkably similar to Earth, orbiting within the habitable zone of a Sun-like star just 42 light-years away. Initial spectroscopic analysis suggests the presence of water vapor, oxygen, and carbon dioxide in its atmosphere.
The planet, designated JWST-2026b, is approximately 1.1 times the size of Earth and receives similar levels of radiation from its host star. Its orbital period is 310 days, and surface temperature estimates suggest conditions compatible with liquid water.
"This is the closest thing to a second Earth we've ever found," said the research team lead. "The atmospheric composition is tantalizing — it suggests active chemistry that could potentially support life."
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