LONDON: An Earth-like planet with the potential to support human life has been discovered just 40 light-years away.Named Gliese 12 b, the planet orbits its host star every 12.8 days, and is comparable in size to Venus – so slightly smaller than Earth. It has an estimated surface temperature of 42C, which is lower than most of the 5,000-odd exoplanets (planets outside of the solar system) confirmed so far.Astronomers suggest Gliese 12 b is one of the few known planets where humans could theoretically survive.