Kepler Finds Earth-Like Planet 600 Light Years Away
NASA has confirmed that Kepler-22b has found an Earth-like planet 600 light years away. The Kepler spacecraft was launched on March 7, 2009 with a purpose to discover habitable planets like the Earth over a period of 3.5 years. This is the first planet that has been discovered yet in over 2 years of the mission.
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The Earth-like planet has been named Kepler 22-b and is a part of Kepler 22 habitable zone, which is at a distance of 600 light years from Earth. Very little information is revealed about the planet Kepler 22-b. Of the information that is available, the Kepler 22-b is known to be 2.4 times the size of Earth and has a 290 day orbit around a G-type star which is slightly smaller and cooler than our own Sun. The planet's ratio of solid, liquid and gas is yet to be acknowledged. Though, reports say that over ten new planets with Earth-like features have been found in the habitable zone of Kepler, Kepler 22-b is the only planet that has been confirmed as a liable nomination for an Earth-like planet.
NASA scientists have authorized the candidates by using ground-based telescopes. This process takes time as the scientists can only confirm the presence of Earth-like planets by observing the planets during the spring to early fall period, with 3 transits required to define a planet’s existence. Around 48 candidates for habitable planets have been counted since the start of the mission, Kepler 22-b standing as the only confirmed planet till now.
Article source: #-Link-Snipped-#Â Image Credit: themarysue
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The Earth-like planet has been named Kepler 22-b and is a part of Kepler 22 habitable zone, which is at a distance of 600 light years from Earth. Very little information is revealed about the planet Kepler 22-b. Of the information that is available, the Kepler 22-b is known to be 2.4 times the size of Earth and has a 290 day orbit around a G-type star which is slightly smaller and cooler than our own Sun. The planet's ratio of solid, liquid and gas is yet to be acknowledged. Though, reports say that over ten new planets with Earth-like features have been found in the habitable zone of Kepler, Kepler 22-b is the only planet that has been confirmed as a liable nomination for an Earth-like planet.
NASA scientists have authorized the candidates by using ground-based telescopes. This process takes time as the scientists can only confirm the presence of Earth-like planets by observing the planets during the spring to early fall period, with 3 transits required to define a planet’s existence. Around 48 candidates for habitable planets have been counted since the start of the mission, Kepler 22-b standing as the only confirmed planet till now.
Article source: #-Link-Snipped-#Â Image Credit: themarysue
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