Good news for those of us looking to escape Earth: scientists just discovered a planet of similar size and orbit to our own, right within the same galaxy, just 25,000 light-years away.
The Astronomical Journal reports that the New Zealand scientists that made the discovery were able to do so using a technique called "gravitational microlensing," which allows them to find planet- or -star-sized objects no matter how much light they each emit.
So, should we pack our bags? Not so fast.
According to USA Today, "the super-Earth's host star is about 10% the mass of our sun." Translation: It is oh-so-very-cold on this new planet.
The co-author of the original study, Michael Abrow of the University of Canterbury, also told USA Today that it is very unlikely for water to exist there, which, coupled with the overall harsh conditions noticed, will make it almost impossible for humans to set up camp down there.
Add to that the fact that one "year" on the newly discovered planet lasts about 617 days and we think we're going to opt to stay on planet Earth for the time being. After all, 365 days already seem pretty long for an yearly reset.
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