CoRoT-7b, a newly discovered planet more than 500 light years away, is the closest physical match to Earth scientists have ever found. It's mass is nearly 5 times that of Earth's, and it's radius is estimated at about 1.7 Earths. However, CoRoT-7b is closer to its star than Mercury is to our sun, causing its year to last only 20 hours, and its surface temperature to be much too hot to support life. Astronomers will be observing CoRoT-7b further, hoping to find what composes the first rocky planet discovered outside our solar system.
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