Planet spotted in its star’s Goldilocks zone

Astronomers have caught a glimpse of what could be a nearby planet in its star’s habitable zone — the ‘just right’ region where life could flourish. The planet, which appears as no more than a bright smudge on images taken by the James Webb Space Telescope, is circling Alpha Centauri A, just 4 light years from Earth. Because it’s a gas giant, researchers aren’t holding their breath for life on this planet, but its moons could be habitable, they say.