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Space & Astronomy

NASA announces discovery of a second Earth

By T.K. Randall
July 23, 2015 · Comment icon 67 comments

Have we finally found another planet like our own - an Earth 2.0 ? Image Credit: NASA
Astronomers using the Kepler Telescope have found the most Earth-like extrasolar planet ever discovered.
Kepler-452b is thought to be a rocky terrestrial world with an orbit very similar to our own around a star that is also very similar to our own. Out of more than 1,000 extrasolar planets identified to date this particular world is being hailed as the most significant and Earth-like of them all.

"Kepler-452 has similar characteristics to our sun, which makes finding a planet with an orbital period similar to Earth in this system very exciting," said Daniel Huber of the University of Sydney.

"It is the first time we have found such a planet."

The discovery was outlined at a NASA press conference earlier today with scientists indicating that standing on its surface could potentially feel "a lot like home".
That is not to say that Kepler-452b is exactly like the Earth however - it is approximately 60 percent larger than our own planet and one year there would be 385 days long.

It is also a very long way away at a distance of 1400 light years in the constellation Cygnus.

Nonetheless its remarkably Earth-like orbital distance places it right in its star's habitable zone and scientists believe that it has been there for six billion years - enough time for life to have developed.

It is currently unknown whether or not the planet has an atmosphere or if there really is life there but it is likely to be a prime target for future observation once telescopes become powerful enough.



Source: Sydney Morning Herald | Comments (67)




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Recent comments on this story
Comment icon #58 Posted by Weitter Duckss 9 years ago
What? And what have Mars to do with this jumble? Mars will be sad is not the center of attention. Merc14 If you negate the information you probably have your own, I'll be happy to listen to them.
Comment icon #59 Posted by Noteverythingisaconspiracy 9 years ago
Mars will be sad is not the center of attention. Merc14 If you negate the information you probably have your own, I'll be happy to listen to them.
Comment icon #60 Posted by Merc14 9 years ago
Thanks! Mars will be sad is not the center of attention. Merc14 If you negate the information you probably have your own, I'll be happy to listen to them. Negate what? I honestly don't know what you are jabbering on about as it is meaningless gibberish with no link to what we are discussing here. Why link my profile?
Comment icon #61 Posted by badeskov 9 years ago
snip Negate what? I honestly don't know what you are jabbering on about as it is meaningless gibberish with no link to what we are discussing here. Why link my profile? Does anybody ever have a chance to figure out what WD's inane ramblings are about and why they are even important enough to respond to? Cheers, Badeskov
Comment icon #62 Posted by Merc14 9 years ago
Does anybody ever have a chance to figure out what WD's inane ramblings are about and why they are even important enough to respond to? Cheers, Badeskov I have my ideas about what is going on with him but was told to lay off so.....
Comment icon #63 Posted by toast 9 years ago
Mars will be sad is not the center of attention. There will probably move and orbit after Mars. Again, was has Mars to do with Kepler452b?
Comment icon #64 Posted by Waspie_Dwarf 9 years ago
Does anybody ever have a chance to figure out what WD's inane ramblings are about and why they are even important enough to respond to? That's a bit harsh, I do my best. Oh, wait a minute, the other WD. I don't have a clue what he's talking about, the thing is, neither does he.
Comment icon #65 Posted by kartikg 9 years ago
These article headlines are so misleading. Earth like planet, they have no idea what the planet looks like or has on it. It could be a gaseous planet for all they know, or scolding hot like mercury.... They say in the article they don't know if it it's made of rock or a grassy ball, such none sense to create fake headlines. And how do they even know it orbits in a habitable zone? They detect a planet by watching a star and noting the star dims when a planet passes by it.... ok maybe they can do that... then they say they can determine if it's a hot or cold star by the amount of radiation it em... [More]
Comment icon #66 Posted by Noteverythingisaconspiracy 9 years ago
These article headlines are so misleading. Earth like planet, they have no idea what the planet looks like or has on it. It could be a gaseous planet for all they know, or scolding hot like mercury.... They say in the article they don't know if it it's made of rock or a grassy ball, such none sense to create fake headlines. And how do they even know it orbits in a habitable zone? They detect a planet by watching a star and noting the star dims when a planet passes by it.... ok maybe they can do that... then they say they can determine if it's a hot or cold star by the amount of radiation it em... [More]
Comment icon #67 Posted by bison 9 years ago
When these planets are found, what is the next step astronomers take? Do they point radio telescopes towards them and listen for anything, concentrating on these planets? Do they even do anything more, or just log it and go on? The SETI Institute has begun to monitor the Kepler 452 system for intelligent radio signals. Nothing of this sort has been heard so far. However, They report that they have checked only about 25 percent of the range of radio frequencies they intend to eventually listen to; still early days. I hope that they will check the entire range of frequencies several times. Inter... [More]


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