Two-Earth-mass World 25 Light-Years Away Sparks Life-Hunting Hopes

Astronomers refined properties for GJ 3378b, a planet ~2.3 Earth masses orbiting in its star's habitable zone about 25 light-years away, receiving roughly 90% of Earth's solar energy. Its potential to sustain liquid water is promising, but an atmosphere—crucial for habitability—has not yet been confirmed; future missions like NASA's Habitable Worlds Observatory (planned for the 2040s) could image the planet and search for biosignatures. The discovery, made with ground-based instruments, underscores how nearby systems are key targets in the search for life beyond Earth.