Last year, NASA launched its latest planet-scanning probe, known as the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS). as the name suggests, the TESS' primary mission is to discover and survey exoplanets, which are planets outside our solar system.

Specifically, the TESS is looking for Earth-like planets, in the hopes that data it provides can help scientists find worlds that are capable of supporting life; human or otherwise. The TESS' predecessor (the Kepler Space Telescope) ran out of fuel a couple months after the new Satellite launched, making its success all the more important.

Almost a full year after the start of its mission, the TESS has finally found its first Earth-sized exoplanet: HD21749c. It's not the most inspiring of names, perhaps, but for the purposes of science, it'll do for now.

Unfortunately, HD21749c may be a bit of a dud when it comes to sustaining life. NASA says the planet is extremely hot due to the proximity of the sun it orbits. H21749c's surface temperatures could be as high as 800 degrees (Fahrenheit).

Given that its surface is likely to be very rocky and its temperatures are far beyond anything modern humans could withstand, we shouldn't expect to start colonizing the planet any time soon. Still, we look forward to seeing what else the TESS will discover during its hopefully-long life.

 

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