The new Earth-like planet detected by the European Southern Observatory is the smallest exoplanet that has been discovered to date and is one of 45 new exoplanets that are expected to be verified in the near future. As of early June 2008 there were nearly 300 known exoplanets. The addition of 45 newly discovered extrasolar planets will push the total to around 340 with more detections likely thoughout the rest of 2008. This new Earth-like planet was found by the European Southern Observatory's 140-inch telescope. The Earth-like planet is believed to be orbiting it's sun within the habitable zone established by extrasolar planetary scientists. The European Southern Observatory is actually located in the country of Chile. Check out the latest news exoplanet below for more detailed information on recent announcements of new Earth-like planets detected using the High Accuracy Radial Velocity Planet Searcher system(otherwise known as HARPS) along with other methods.