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A planet that could have similar conditions to Earth has been found 40 light years away.

Gliese 12b is about the size of Venus.

It's a lot cooler than other planets found outside of the solar system - just a few degrees warmer than Earth.

Scientists think a planet with these conditions could support alien life.

Exoplanets are what scientists call planets outside of our solar system.

They're usually very hot, and often a lot bigger than our planet.

However, experts think Gliese 12b could be the right temperature to have some of the conditions needed for life - like water - on its surface.

Scientists are hoping to use the planet to learn more about other, maybe closer planets. Gliese 12b is pretty far away - 40 light years.

A light year is a measurement scientists use to explain how far away things in space are. It measures how long it takes light to travel to us from somewhere - so 40 light years means light takes 40 years to get to us.

Scientists reckon Gliese 12b could have conditions quite similar to Earth - which means... maybe!

The planet would be too hot for humans, though.

It's also a long way away, so instead of exploring the planet, they will probably use it to learn more about where else we can find habitable exoplanets.

Nasa has a special satellite called TESS to look for alien life on exoplanets.

TESS stands for Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite - it looks for exoplanets and sends data back for scientists to look at.

Scientists look for a few things when searching for planets that could contain alien life.

The planet needs to be in an area known as the goldilocks zone - warm enough to hold life, but not too hot.

It also needs to be close enough in orbit to its nearest star, with a certain level of pressure in the atmosphere, and the right conditions for water.

Remember - we've got no idea what evdence of alien life could look like if we do find it.

Rather than little green people, scientists would be expecting microbes, bacteria or even fossils.