One Star Over, a Planet That Might Be Another Earth

Astronomers announced on Wednesday that they had detected a planet orbiting Proxima Centauri, the closest neighbor to our solar system. Intriguingly, the planet is in the star’s “Goldilocks zone,” where it may not be too hot nor too cold. That means liquid water could exist at the surface, raising the possibility for life. The planet’s proximity to Earth gives hope that robotic probes could someday be zooming past the planet for a close-up look. “We will definitely aim at Proxima,” said Avi Loeb, Member (1988-1993, 2002-03) in the School of Natural Sciences and a Harvard astronomer who is chairman of an advisory committee for Breakthrough Starshot. “This is like finding prime real estate in our neighborhood.” Read more http://ow.ly/wH7q303yulq.