There's new promise for where extraterrestrials could exist. A newly discovered exoplanet called HD 20794 D orbits a star similar to the Sun just 19.7 light-years away from Earth, and researchers believe it may be able to sustain liquid water, which is vital for life to exist. 

What's an exoplanet? 
It's defined as a planet outside of our solar system that usually orbits a star in our galaxy. More than 7,000 have been found in the Milky Way since the first confirmed discovery in the 1990s, and "billions more remain to be discovered," said Tech Explorist. Most of the exoplanets that have been found lie within a small region of the galaxy — "'small' meaning within thousands of light-years of our solar system," the farthest current telescopes can "see," said NASA. 

How was it found? 
Methods used to find exoplanets include "watching for wobble" — the changes in the light emitted by a star when it makes a tiny movement due to the gravitational tug of a passing planet. In 2022, Dr. Michael Cretignier, of the University of Oxford, spotted periodic changes in the light being emitted by HD 20794 D. The faintness of the signal made it difficult to confirm the presence of an exoplanet, and the team spent the next two years analyzing "highly precise measurements." It was "naturally a huge joy when we could confirm the planet's existence," said Cretignier. "It was also a relief." 

This prolonged study of the exoplanet's movement also allowed scientists to determine its size as six times the mass of Earth. According to Space.com (a sister site of The Week), the "larger the wobble, the greater the mass." 

Could life exist on it? 
HD 20794 D is located within the so-called Goldilocks zone, where temperatures would support the presence of liquid water. But winters would be "long and hard" in this "bizarre" climate, with any life struggling to survive on a planet that spends so much time frozen, said Space.com. Even if there's no life on HD 20794 D, said the University of Oxford, its strange orbit will provide an "invaluable test case" for future studies.

The largest and most prestigious independent film festival in the U.S. could soon be getting a new home. Taking place now through Sunday, Sundance has been held in Park City, Utah, since 1981. But organizers are deciding between three other cities set to start hosting in 2027, while Park City residents are rallying to keep at least part of the festival's presence in the state.

Where might it move to?
The three finalists are Boulder, Colorado; Cincinnati; and Salt Lake City. (If Salt Lake City is chosen, Sundance will maintain a smaller presence in Park City.) "Organizers have said, essentially, that the event has gotten too big for Park City," said The New York Times.

Sundance takes place every January, turning the ski town of "8,200 full-time residents into a snowy circus, with over 20,000 people streaming in from around the globe," said the Times. When this happens, the town's "hotel prices skyrocket, the streets become clogged with black SUVs, and what should be a simple five-minute ride down Main Street can turn into a 30-minute crawl."

Locals are "still holding out hope that Sundance chooses the Salt Lake City option," said the Times. The festival brings in significant money for Utah; the 2024 edition raked in $132 million in total economic impact, according to the festival's report. But Sundance's organizers "worry it has developed an air of exclusivity that takes the focus away from the films," said The Associated Press. The "ideal home would make Sundance more centralized, affordable and accessible."

What does this mean for the film industry?
Some consider this locale change a detriment. The festival leaving Utah means it would "miss the focus it brings to the state's film industry," filmmaker Sean Madsen said to The Salt Lake Tribune.

Others are hopeful that Sundance's impact will remain profound no matter where it's held. "The spirit of Sundance doesn't necessarily exist in a physical location but is made up of the community," director Andrew Ahn said to the Los Angeles Times.