Just 40 light years from Earth, three Planets might Host life forms Adapted to Infrared Worlds (+Video)

 
Three Potentially Habitable Worlds Found Around Nearby Ultracool Dwarf Star 

Is there life beyond our solar system? If there is, our best bet for finding it may lie in three nearby, Earth-like exoplanets.

Astronomers using the TRAPPIST telescope at ESO’s La Silla Observatory have discovered three planets orbiting an ultracool dwarf star just 40 light-years from Earth. These worlds have sizes and temperatures similar to those of Venus and Earth and are the best targets found so far for the search for life outside the Solar System. 

Phys.Org  http://phys.org/news/2016-05-years-earth-planets-host-life.html

They are the first planets ever discovered around such a tiny and dim star. The new results will be published in the journal Nature on 2 May 2016. 

http://www.eso.org/public/news/eso1615/

Journal reference: Nature http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/nature17448.html

Image credit: ESO