A hefty "super Earth" lurking in one of the closest star systems to our planet may be much better suited to supporting extraterrestrial life than scientists initially thought, a new study suggests. The alien world's relative proximity to Earth, and the nature of its home star, make it a prime candidate for follow-up observations, researchers say. The exoplanet, dubbed GJ 3378b, was discovered in 2024 and orbits a red dwarf star around 25 light-years from our planet. The alien world circles its star every 21.5 days at a distance around 10 times closer than Earth orbits the sun, which would make it completely inhospitable in our solar system. But because the red dwarf emits around 90% less radiation than the sun does, GJ 3378b is slap bang in the middle of this star systems "habitable zone," where liquid water could exist on the exoplanet's surface. Researchers initially thought that GJ 3378b was around five times more massive than Earth. If the planet is rocky like ours, it would qualify as a "super Earth" often considered the best candidates for sustaining extraterrestrial life. However, it was hard to tell if this world had a solid surface or was actually a mini gas giant. And even if it was rocky, its immense size would probably mean that its atmospheric pressure would be crushing, making it less likely to harbor life. But in a new study, published June 30 in The Astrophysical Journal, researchers recalculated the exoplanet's size, using the Habitable-zone Planet Finder instrument attached to the Hobby-Eberly Telescope at the McDonald Observatory in Texas. This device measures subtle wobbles in the host star, caused by the gravitational tug of orbiting planets, and can be used to calculate the planets mass and trajectory.This revealed that GJ 3378b is actually only 2.3 times more massive than Earth, which almost guarantees it is a rocky world and means it could have an atmosphere with a similar pressure to our own, raising the chances that extraterrestrial lifeforms could thrive there.The newly constrained size of GJ 3378b makes it much more likely that the exoplanet has an atmosphere similar to Earth's. But more research is needed to confirm if it even has an atmosphere. (Image credit: NASA/Eyes on Exoplanets viewer)While researchers have found several other exoplanets that could harbor life, the fact that GJ 3378b is so close to us makes it particularly intriguing, as it will be easier to confirm whether it is truly habitable."This ones exciting," study first author Paul Robertson, an astronomer at the University of California, Irvine, said in a statement. "25 light-years sounds like a long way, but the Milky Way is about 100,000 light-years across, so in that respect its our next-door neighbor."Before we get too carried away, there is still no evidence that GJ 3378b has an atmosphere or liquid water. Its proximity to its home star may mean that any atmosphere it once had was stripped away by stellar winds, similar to how solar radiation likely stripped Mars of its atmosphere and ancient oceans. Therefore, more observations are needed. But if an atmosphere is detected, GJ 3378b would likely jump to near the front of the queue of exoplanets that researchers want to study further.RELATED STORIESPotentially habitable, Earth-size exoplanet TRAPPIST-1e may have an atmosphere, JWST hintsEinstein's relativity could rewrite a major rule about what types of planets are habitableJames Webb spots then loses a giant planet orbiting in the habitable zone of our closest sun-like star"If a planet in the habitable zone has a proper atmosphere, we can justify further research looking for biosignatures, liquid water or other signs of life," study co-author Gogod James, an undergraduate student at UC Irvine, said in the statement.The fact that GJ 3378b orbits a red dwarf also makes it more appealing for future study because this is the most common star type in the Milky Way, so experts are keen to learn more about these stars' planetary systems and potential to nurture life."About 70% of stars in our galaxy are red dwarfs, so they represent the standard," study co-author Michael Endl, an astronomer at the McDonald Observatory and the University of Texas at Austin, said in another statement. "Its really important that we understand the planet population around these stars."

This week's science news was all about goings on in space, with reports that the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) picked up a signal from a mysterious, never-before-seen substance on Pluto and Titan.The space telescope detected a specific absorption line in the spectra of these worlds' atmospheres, revealing the characteristic trace of a unique and unknown molecule. It's unclear exactly what the molecule could be, and the mystery is made even more compelling by the fact that the environments of Pluto and Titan are very distinct.Farther afield, the JWST's predecessor, the Hubble Space Telescope, spotted "impossible" light from a galaxy we shouldn't even be able to see. And in the busy skies surrounding our own planet, scientists are dreaming up a scheme to drop a giant "airbag" that could protect us from solar storms, sending spacecraft into orbit to save doomed telescopes, and also giving answers to why metal sticks together in space.And just in time for Independence Day weekend, the sun has launched a string of eruptions to Earth that will likely paint the night skies with colorful auroras.China's 'Great Green Wall' grows faster than natural forests66 billion trees have been planted in China's Great Green Wall and they appear to be growing faster than natural forestsThe San Jacinto and southern San Andreas faults have reached their highest levels of tectonic stress in 1,000 years. (Image credit: PEDRO PARDO via Getty Images)China is no stranger to engineering projects designed to bring its environment to heel; we've recently covered the Asian powerhouse's attempts to tame nature through the creation of atmospheric rivers, the world's biggest dam and water transfers. But these are hardly China's only forays into sculpting its natural environment, with the country having planted more than 66 billion trees along its northern borders to halt the advance of the Gobi and Taklamakan deserts.Now, new research has revealed a startling detail about the trees in this "Great Green Wall": they're growing significantly faster than natural forests. Exactly why remains a mystery, but, as Live Science contributor Brian Owens reveals, it could be due to a stronger response from the trees to rising atmospheric carbon dioxide.Discover more planet Earth news'It sounds so impossible': Student studying fungus that makes users hallucinate tiny people may be on the verge of a scientific breakthrough'Uncharted territory': Record high ocean temperatures confirmed for June as El Nio strengthens its gripStudy suggests life on Earth has around 1.8 billion years left but the biosphere might evolve to survive even longerLife's Little MysteriesAre CAPTCHAs obsolete in the age of AI?AI is getting better at solving CAPTCHAs. Does that mean CAPTCHAs are obsolete? (Image credit: Cosminxp Cosmin via Getty Images)Are you a robot? It used to be a question that only humans could answer by clicking on traffic lights or strings of warped and grainy characters, or Completely Automated Public Turing tests to tell Computers and Humans Apart (CAPTCHAs). But what happens now that autonomous artificial intelligence (AI) agents can ace some of these trials without detection? Have they made CAPTCHAs obsolete?If you enjoyed this, sign up for our Life's Little Mysteries newsletterMedici murder mystery solvedAncient-DNA analysis solves 500-year-old mystery of what killed 2 Medici brothersResearchers analyzed the remains of brothers Giovanni and Francesco de' Medici for evidence of malaria. (Image credit: Courtesy the University of Pisa)The Medici family ruled Renaissance Tuscany with an iron fist, fulfilling their ruthless ambitions with methods so underhand that the name of their most famous advisor, Niccol Machiavelli, became a synonym for skulduggery. So, when two brothers from the infamous family died under mysterious circumstances, it was believed for 500 years that they were murdered, possibly by arsenic poisoning. Now, science has revealed the true culprit behind the medieval cold case, and it's not what we expected.Discover more archaeology news Ancient ring discovered underground in Scotland could be a Stonehenge-like monument500-year-old freeze-dried potato snacks discovered in Inca storage room in Peru2,000-year-old scrolls buried by Mount Vesuvius eruption finally deciphered with help from AIAlso in science news this weekChinese supercomputer leapfrogs best US machines to be ranked world's fastestThe hantavirus outbreak is over, WHO declaresRise in cancer in younger adults may be explained by faster 'biological aging,' early study hintsDead-end bitcoin mining wastes as much energy as Switzerland's entire hydropower generation capacityCERN shuts down Large Hadron Collider until 2030, upgrading the atom smasher to its most powerful form yetScientists figured out how to shrink huge ultrafast lasers so they fit on a tiny chip the 'holy grail' of the fieldScience SpotlightJapan's bold experiment to curb antibiotic misuse has been a huge success. Could it work in the US?Japan has rolled out a creative strategy to rein in antibiotic resistance. Should the U.S. follow suit? (Image credit: Nicoletta Lanese (left and right panels); Getty Images (central panel); edited by Live Science)Antibiotic resistance is a growing threat in the U.S., with more than 2.8 million Americans developing antimicrobial-resistant infections each year. The solutions to this worrying trend can be very complex such as moving agricultural systems away from their overreliance on antibiotics, or preventing the rapid spread of superbugs through international travel.But stopping doctors from overprescribing antibiotics is one of the easiest strategies in the battle against this "silent pandemic." And it turns out that Japan has already fought it with some success, driving down antibiotic overuse with an innovative new policy. To investigate further and ask what notes the U.S. should be taking, Live Science's health editor Nicoletta Lanese visited Japan and reported back on their investigation.Something for the weekendIf you're looking for things to keep you busy over the weekend, here are a smattering of our best expert opinion pieces, alongside a crossword, an interview and a quiz, that we published this week. Computer scientists are rushing to tame AI's voracious appetite for energy [Opinion]'It's more than a hope, it's a guarantee': The Vera C. Rubin Observatory's 10-year movie of the universe is about to 'blow our minds,' chief scientist Tony Tyson says [Interview]Live Science crossword puzzle #50: Longest-serving president in US history 1 across [Crossword]Ancient empires quiz: Can you match these lands to the historical powers that ruled them? [Quiz]Science photo of the weekBull's-eye! Enormous 'bow and arrow' galaxy is unlike anything radio astronomers have ever seen The 'bow and arrow' galaxy shows its highly unusual shape in radio wavelengths. (Image credit: Hota, Dabhade and Ghosh et al and the RAD@home Collaboratory)If you ask me, it looks more like a rusty anchor, or a blurry deep-sea fish. But whichever way you see it, the newly discovered "bow and arrow" galaxy or, more formally, the RAD-Bow-And-Arrow Radio Galaxy (RAD-BAARG) is an oddball unlike any other recorded.The galaxy's unique structure is likely the result of gravity, which is warping RAD-BAARG into a funhouse mirror version of its former self as it falls into a nearby galaxy cluster. A shock front from this plunge surrounds the galaxy as it moves through hot gas.Follow Live Science on social mediaWant more science news? Follow our Live Science WhatsApp Channel for the latest discoveries as they happen. It's the best way to get our expert reporting on the go, but if you don't use WhatsApp we're also on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Flipboard, Instagram, TikTok, Bluesky and LinkedIn.

If the pulls from the past update aren't cutting it on the field in the current season, it's time to redeem new Build a Soccer Squad codes. Keep up with the latest list of free rerolls and refreshes, and you might just pull a top-tier striker to show off in the plaza. Build a Soccer Squad is a natural extension of the Roblox pack-ripping meta, and one that reunites it with the virtual team-building game mode of the big-budget soccer games that forever crowd console best-sellers lists. You roll for the best players from across the ages, then build your vision of an unstoppable soccer squad. It's less about putting the team to work and more about hoping another player acknowledges your rare rolls and strategic squad formation.

Have you updated and noticed a new icon in the battery indicator area on your Samsung phone? Here's what it means and whether you should disable it.

One Rock + Metal Song That Calls Out Each of the 50 StatesOne Rock + Metal Song That Calls Out Each of the 50 States℗ 2015 Geffen Records, CJ Gunther, Getty Images, A&M, Roadrunner, ℗ 1976 Asylum Records. Marketed by Rhino Entertainment Company, a Warner Music Group Company., Photo by Aaron Burden on UnsplashThere's a long history of celebrating the United States within the rather...

5 Rock Songs People Mistakenly Think Are PatrioticIt happens all the time — as the years roll on, the meaning of a song gets forgotten, ignored and abandoned, ultimately leading many to mistakenly confuse the song for being passionately patriotic.This is a world where the political lean of Rage Against the Machine is almost entirely lost, with overreacting conservatives astonished that Tom...

As the United States marks 250 years since the Declaration of Independence was adopted, the lives of the 56 signers show the personal cost of pledging our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.By

Where did it all start? Computers, data collection, data storage, artificial intelligence, data analysis, advanced data collection technology, interoperability for sharing data between computers,

President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu discussed Iran negotiations, Gaza and regional developments as both leaders agreed to meet soon in the United States.By yourNEWS Media