Scientists from the University of Warwick were part of an international team that discovered a new habitable Earth-sized planet.
In collaboration with NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA), they claim that the newly discovered planet Gliss 12 b has the same temperature as Great Britain in 2022 during a heat wave, and that it is one of the few rocky planets where humans could theoretically survive .
Since it is 40 light-years away from Earth, it can hardly be better studied, the university said.
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"This is a really exciting discovery that will help us explore Earth-like planets across the galaxy," said Warwick astrophysicist Thomas Wilson.
Its surface temperature is about 42 degrees Celsius, but scientists said they still aren't sure what kind of atmosphere it has, if any.
This planet orbits its own version of the Sun every 12,8 days and is similar in size to Earth.
The Sun's equivalent, called Glis 12, is cool and red and is located in the constellation Pisces.
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The newly discovered planet receives 1,6 times more energy from this star than Earth receives from the Sun, the university said.
The team used data from NASA and ESA satellites to confirm the existence of the planet as well as to learn about its size, temperature and distance from Earth.
"The amazing thing is that this planet is the closest to an Earth-sized planet, but the temperature is similar to what we know," Wilson added.
"The light we see now is from 1984 - it took 40 years to reach us.
"Planets like Gliss 12 b are very rare and distant, so we have a special opportunity to examine it and learn details about its atmosphere and temperature," Wilson added.
Larissa Palethorpe, a PhD student at the University of Edinburgh and University College London who is leading the project, said it was a "special candidate" for further study of the atmosphere to learn more about the evolution of our solar system.
"Earth remains habitable, but Venus, due to the complete loss of water.
"The atmosphere of Glyzea 12 b could teach us a lot about the habitable paths that planets take as they evolve," she added.
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