TESS Mission's First Earth-size World in Star's Habitable-zone

NASA's TESS satellite has discovered its first Earth-size planet in its star's habitable zone, called TOI 700 d. It is located just over 100 light-years away in the constellation Dorado. TOI 700 d is the only one of the three planets in the system that is in the habitable zone, meaning that liquid water could exist on its surface.
Scientists used Spitzer to confirm the discovery and model the planet's potential environments. One simulation includes an ocean-covered TOI 700 d with a dense, carbon-dioxide-dominated atmosphere. Another model depicts TOI 700 d as a cloudless, all-land version of modern Earth.
The exact conditions of TOI 700 d are unknown, but scientists are excited about the possibility that it could be habitable. Future observations will help determine if the planet is a place where life could thrive.