Extraterrestrial life needs the right atmosphere. This planet 40 light-years away might fit the bill, scientists say.

A rocky, Earth-size planet located in our Milky Way galaxy may have an atmosphere around it, according to new research, raising the possibility that it could also have liquid water on its surface and could therefore support life

A rocky, Earth-size planet located in our Milky Way galaxy may have an atmosphere around it, according to new research, raising the possibility that it could also have liquid water on its surface and could therefore support life.

In two separate papers published Monday in the Astrophysical Journal Letters, astronomers zeroed in on the TRAPPIST-1 system, which consists of seven rocky planets that orbit a single star. Both studies outlined initial results from observations by NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, suggesting that one planet in particular, known as TRAPPIST-1e, may have a nitrogen-rich atmosphere like Earth’s, though follow-up studies are needed to confirm the discovery.

The results are an important step in the ongoing search for extraterrestrial life in the solar system and beyond.

This week, NASA announced that a rock sample collected on Mars may contain evidence of ancient microbial life. Present-day Mars has a thin atmosphere mostly made up of carbon dioxide, nitrogen and argon gases, but the Red Planet is thought to have had a thicker atmosphere billions of years ago, when liquid water flowed on its surface.

Scientists have long held that water is an essential ingredient for life.