Why go 1,400 light years to exoplanet Kepler-452b when HD 219134b is only 21 light years away? In fact you can see it with the naked eye - well the star it orbits, that is. The exoplanet was detected by the Spitzer Space Telescope.
Here is the tale from NASA:
This artist's rendition shows one possible appearance for the planet HD 219134b, the nearest confirmed rocky exoplanet found to date outside our solar system. The planet is 1.6 times the size of Earth, and whips around its star in just three days. Scientists predict that the scorching-hot planet -- known to be rocky through measurements of its mass and size -- would have a rocky, partially molten surface with geological activity, including possibly volcanoes.
Okay, so it is not that promising as a candidate for extraterrestrial life, but it is nearby. In fact, it is the closest exoplanet spotted to date.
Photo Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
