Earth-size planet that may support water found 100 light years away

NASA scientists announced Monday that they had found the first Earth-sized, potentially habitable planet.

The planet, currently known as TOI 700 d, is about 100 light years away. It is orbiting a star that is about 40 percent of our sun's mass and size, according to CNN.

TOI 700 d is one of three planets orbiting its star. Researchers say it is just the right distance from the star to support liquid water.

The discovery is not the first potentially habitable planet, but it is the first habitable planet found that is also the same size as Earth.

However, TOI 700 d has some marked differences to Earth. For example, it orbits its star every 37 Earth days. Also, scientists believe the planet's rotation matches exactly with its rotation around the star. That means the same surface always faces its star, just like how the same part of our moon always faces Earth.

The new planet was found as part of NASA's TESS mission--Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite, a satellite launched April 18, 2018.