TEXAS -- NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite -- or TESS -- has found several new planets beyond our solar system in the year since the spacecraft launched.

Most importantly, these planets are near the size of Earth and located in their solar system's habitable, or "goldilocks" zone, which can support liquid water, one of the necessary ingredients for life.

Some of the newly discovered planets are in our local backyard, cosmically speaking.

In the above video, NASA scientist Tom Barclay tells our Chief Meteorlogist Burton Fitzsimmons about the transiting technique NASA uses to hunt planets.