Excitement over a planet that could be habitable is being dialled down.

Spanish scientists have discovered what they call a super-earth, which is a planet bigger than earth but smaller than Neptune.

It's orbiting the closest solitary star to our sun called Barnard’s Star, and its orbit length suggests it could be habitable.

But space commentator Matthew Pavletich told Mike Hosking with current technology, it would take something like 200,000 years to fly to the star.

And he says there's the issue of water.

"Liquid water would really have to exist before we could get excited talking about things like life on the planet."

LISTEN TO MATTHEW PAVLETICH TALK WITH MIKE HOSKING ABOVE