Scientists find most Earth-like planet yet

European astronomers have spotted what they say is the most Earth-like planet yet outside our solar system, with balmy temperatures that could support water and, potentially, life. They have not directly seen the planet, orbiting a red dwarf star called Gliese 581. But measurements of the star suggest that a planet not much larger than the Earth is pulling on it. It appears to have a mass five times that of Earth's. The researchers suggest that its radius should be only 1.5 times the Earth's radius, and models predict that the planet should be either rocky, like our Earth, or covered with oceans. Most of the 200 or so planets that have been spotted outside this solar system have been gas giants like Jupiter. But this one is small, with a radius that should be only 1.5 times the Earth's.