Astronomers have discovered an Earth-like planet named KMT-2020-BLG-0414, located approximately 4,000 light-years from Earth, offering insights into the potential future of our planet after the Sun evolves into a white dwarf.

This planetary system includes a white dwarf star, which has about half the mass of the Sun, and an Earth-sized planet that orbits at a distance twice that of Earth's current orbit.

The white dwarf is the remnant of a star that underwent a destructive red giant phase, leading to harsh conditions on the newly discovered planet.

As a result of its host star's transformation, the planet has experienced extreme conditions, likely cooling from a molten state to its current frozen state.

There is uncertainty regarding the fate of humanity during the Sun's future red giant phase, particularly whether life can survive the extreme conditions.

While models suggest Earth could escape being engulfed by the Sun, it may not remain habitable as it would likely be pushed out of the habitable zone.

As the Sun expands, the habitable zone may shift outward, potentially allowing for the migration of humanity to the moons of Jupiter and Saturn, which could become habitable.

Future telescopes, such as NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Telescope set to launch in 2027, will enhance our ability to identify exoplanets through microlensing events.

The discovery was made possible through a microlensing event observed in 2020, where the gravitational field of the star system magnified the light of a distant star by over 1,000 times.

The findings from this research, published in the journal Nature Astronomy, contribute to our understanding of star evolution and its effects on surrounding planets.

Lead author Keming Zhang from the University of California noted that Earth may only remain habitable for another billion years due to the impending greenhouse effect.

This discovery not only sheds light on the potential fate of Earth but also illustrates the diverse planetary configurations that can exist around stellar remnants.