Scientists find Earth-like planet circling sun's nearest neighbor

The planet Proxima b orbiting the red dwarf star Proxima Centauri (Photo: Courtesy)

Scientists have discovered a planet that appears to be similar to Earth circling the star closest to the sun, potentially a major step in the quest to find out if life exists elsewhere in the universe, research published on Wednesday showed.

The relative proximity of the planet, known as Proxima b, gives scientists a better chance to eventually capture an image of it, to help them establish whether it has an atmosphere and water, which is believed to be necessary for life.