As of March 25, 2026, NASA says more than 6,000 exoplanets have been confirmed. Scientists are especially excited about the ones in the “habitable zone,” the area around a star where liquid water could exist if a planet has the right atmosphere. (science.nasa.gov)
The closest famous example is Proxima Centauri b. It is about 4 light-years from Earth, only a little more massive than our planet, and it goes around its star in about 11.2 days. It lies in the habitable zone of Proxima Centauri, so it may have temperatures where liquid water is possible. But there is a big problem: its small red star can produce strong flares, and those flares may have damaged or even removed the planet’s atmosphere. (science.nasa.gov)
Another exciting place is the TRAPPIST-1 system, about 40 light-years away. NASA says this system has seven Earth-size planets, and three of them — TRAPPIST-1e, f, and g — are in the habitable zone. TRAPPIST-1e is one of the most interesting targets. In results released in late 2024, NASA said Webb had found no definitive sign of an atmosphere there yet. However, scientists also said a secondary atmosphere is still possible, and if water exists, it could perhaps survive with a greenhouse effect. (science.nasa.gov)
TOI-700 d is farther away, at about 100 light-years, but it is also important. NASA calls it the first Earth-size habitable-zone planet found by TESS. It is about 20% larger than Earth, orbits its star every 37 days, and receives about 86% of the energy Earth gets from the Sun. (nasa.gov)
A newer and very interesting world is Gliese 12 b, announced in May 2024. It is about 40 light-years away and was described by NASA as the nearest transiting, temperate, Earth-size world found so far. It may be closer to Venus than to Earth, but Webb may help scientists learn whether it has an atmosphere. (science.nasa.gov)
So, have we found a planet people can live on? Not yet. But these nearby worlds are giving us better and better clues, and the search is becoming more exciting every year. (science.nasa.gov)










