Scientists from the University of Warwick say they have been part of an international team to discover a new Earth-sized planet.
Working with NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA), they say Gliese 12 b has temperatures similar to the 2022 UK heat wave and is one of the few known rocky planets where humans could theoretically live. are
But the planet's 40 light-year distance means it's too far away to be tested more closely, the university said.
Warwick astrophysicist Dr Thomas Wilson said: "This is a really exciting discovery and will help us research Earth-like planets in our galaxy."
The planet's surface temperature is about 42 degrees Celsius, but scientists say they are still unsure what kind of atmosphere it has, if any.
It orbits its version of the Sun every 12.8 days and is about the same size as Earth.
The sun's equivalent planet, called Glaze 12, is a cool, red dwarf located in the constellation Aries and receives 1.6 times as much energy from its star as Earth does from the sun, the university said.
The team used data from NASA and ESA satellites to confirm the existence of the planet and its characteristics such as its size, temperature and distance from Earth.
Dr Wilson added: "The exciting thing is that this planet is the closest to Earth in size and temperature that we know of."
"The light we see now is from 1984 [40 years ago] - that's how long it took us to get here on Earth.
"Planets like Glaze 12b are few and far between, so it should be possible for us to examine it up close and learn about its atmosphere and temperature."
It is a "unique candidate" for further atmospheric study to help unravel some aspects of the evolution of our own solar system, said Larissa Palthorpe, study co-leader and doctoral student at the University of Edinburgh and University College London.
"Earth is habitable, but Venus is not because of its complete lack of water. The atmosphere of Gliese 12 b can teach us a lot about the way planets evolve and become habitable," he said. added.