NASA have revealed the discovery of the solar system TRAPPIST-1, with seven Earth-size planets orbiting its sun.

In a live conference last night, NASA announced the discovery of TRAPPIST-1, a near solar system that has seven Earth-size planets orbiting around it. Three of the server are within what is called the habitable-zone, an specific area around a star where liquid water can exist.

The solar system was picked up by the Spitzer Space Telescope and was announced in a widely broadcasted conference last night, through which viewers could watch over several methods, and interact with the panel as well.

What makes this solar system more intriguing than other ones with exoplanets, is the fact that this one has seven revolving around its single star, while three of them are perfectly within the habitable-zone where atmospheric conditions are perfect to host liquid water, “the key to life as we know it”, according to NASA.

The system is called TRAPPIST-1, after The Transiting Planets and Planetesimals Small Telescope (TRAPPIST) in Chile.

It lies about 40 light-years away from Earth, around 235 trillion Earth-miles, but considering the proximity of other solar systems, it is really close and in the constellation Aquarius.

With the data provided by Spitzer, NASA scientists were able to measure the exact sizes and masses of the first six of the exoplanets, which allowed them to estimate their density. The calculations show that “the TRAPPIST-1 planets are likely to be rocky”, and further observations are underway to “determine whether they are rich in water” and if it exists as a liquid on their surfaces.

The seventh planet’s density has not yet been estimated, but it is predicted to be an icy planet.

The seven planets are generally considered close to each other, NASA scientists explained. This means that standing on the surface of either planet gives you a clear view of the other six, along with their star.