NASA’s Kepler telescope has discovered the closest thing to a new near earth-sized planet found in a habitable zone around a sun-like star, which means it might harbor life.
The Kepler-452b planet is being referred to as “Earth’s bigger, older cousin.” The space agency has yet to say if the planet has water, air or is rocky.
But, scientists say it's the closest thing we have to another Earth-sun twin system.
What makes this planet remarkable is that it orbits its star at about the same distance that Earth orbits the sun. What's more, its home star looks to be similar to our sun.
The planet is in a solar system that is 1,400 light years from our own.
The Kepler-452b is considered the smallest planet that has been discovered orbiting in the habital zone. NASA defines the habitable zone as the region around a star where temperatures are just right for water to exist in its liquid form.
“We can think of Kepler-452b as an older, bigger cousin to Earth, providing an opportunity to understand and reflect upon Earth’s evolving environment," said Jon Jenkins, Kepler data analysis lead at NASA's Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, California, who led the team that discovered Kepler-452b.
"It’s awe-inspiring to consider that this planet has spent 6 billion years in the habitable zone of its star; longer than Earth. That’s substantial opportunity for life to arise, should all the necessary ingredients and conditions for life exist on this planet.”
The discovery and the introduction of 11 other new small habitable zone candidate planets mark another milestone in the journey to finding another “Earth,” according to NASA.
Information from the Associated Press was used in this story.