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Astronomers have discovered a small planet outside the solar system with a temperature that could be — but probably isn’t — hospitable to alien life. E.T., keep dialing. This is an artist’s interpretation of how the planet, called Kepler-22b, may appear.NASA, Ames, JPL-Caltech

On December 5, astronomers introduced a newly discovered planet that seemed habitable for extraterrestrial life. The faraway world is an exoplanet, or planet outside our solar system, called Kepler-22b. It looks E.T.-friendly because its temperature is neither too hot nor too cold for liquid water, which is essential to life as we know it. The planet orbits its star at just the right distance, sometimes called the “Goldilocks” zone.

Visit the new Science News for Kids website and read the full story: Distant ‘Goldilocks’ world

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