Thirty years after the discovery of the first exoplanet, astronomers have detected more than 7,000 of them in our galaxy. But there are still billions more to be discovered. At the same time, exoplanetologists have begun to take an interest in their characteristics,

Astronomers who identified HD 20794 d say its proximity to its host star and orbital pattern suggest it could hold water.

HD 20794 d completes its orbit just shy of two Earth years, placing it well within reach of conditions that might harbor life.

With winds blowing at 20,500 mph, "the planet has complex weather patterns just like Earth and other planets of our own system," scientists said.

Astronomers have officially confirmed the existence of HD 20794 d, a super-Earth located just 20 light-years away, with conditions that could make it one of the most promising exoplanets for life beyond our solar system.

Named HD 20794 D, the newly discovered exoplanet orbits a star similar to the Sun, and researchers believe it may be able to sustain liquid water, which is vital for life, as we know it, to exist. "Best of all,

Located less than 20 light years away, HD 20794d could potentially be one of the most Earth-like planets found so far, despite its extreme climatic variability.

The discovery of a planet that is just 20 light-years away has been said to be the closest Earth analogue that scientists have ever uncovered.

The study of exoplanets has come a long way since the first detection of a planet orbiting a star other than the Sun in 1995. This groundbreaking discovery, achieved through the radial velocity (RV) technique,

Earth” planet that may have conditions suitable for life. The planet is outside our solar system and has a mass six times greater than that of Earth. The discovery is of an exoplanet, this is any planet beyond our solar system,