Nasa found Earth like planet in another Solar System on Kepler Mission-452b
NASA’s Kepler mission has discovered Kepler-452b, the first near-Earth-size planet in the “habitable zone” around a sun-like star, the agency announced Thursday.
Kepler-452b is the smallest planet discovered orbiting in the habitable zone, according to NASA. The habitable zone refers to the area around a star where liquid water could pool on the surface of an orbiting planet. In a statement, NASA said that the confirmation of Kepler-452b brings the total number of confirmed planets to 1,030.
"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 discovery team. "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 planet, which is about 60 percent larger in diameter than Earth, is located in the constellation Cygnus, about 1,400 light years away. Scientists have yet to determine its mass and composition, although previous research of similar-sized planets indicates that it could be rocky.
NASA's Kepler spacecraft was launched in 2009. The mission's objective is to explore the structure and diversity of planetary systems.
Though its all just that we know about this planet, not much information is available and its whopping 1,400 light years away, means it will take 1,400 years to reach that planet if we travel at speed of light. Obviously, by no means it is possible to reach that planet seeing today's technology but who knows future.
