Scientists find closest thing yet to Earth-sun twin system
By MARCIA DUNN

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — Scientists have identified a "close cousin" to Earth that's orbiting a sun-like star and might harbor life.

"It is the closest thing that we have to another place that somebody else might call home," said Jon Jenkins from NASA's Ames Research Center in California.

The researchers announced their discovery Thursday based on observations from NASA's Kepler space telescope.

This older, bigger cousin to Earth is called Kepler-452b. 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. Based on what scientists know today, Jenkins noted it's the nearest thing to another Earth-sun twin system.

"Today the Earth is a little less lonely because there's a new kid on the block," Jenkins said during a news conference. He led the team that discovered Kepler-452b.

The last Kepler discovery that had scientists gushing was just over a year ago. That close-to-Earth-size planet, Kepler-186f, also was in the habitable zone of its star. But that faint dwarf star was unlike our sun.

John Grunsfeld, NASA's science mission chief, emphasized that the exoplanet system identified Thursday — "a pretty good close cousin to the Earth and our sun" — is the closet so far. "And I really emphasize the 'so far.' "

The planet-hunting Kepler will keep churning out new discoveries, Grunsfeld noted, and possibly find even better matches for "Earth 2.0."

Kepler was launched in 2009 and has nearly 5,000 potential exoplanets to its credit — worlds beyond our solar system. It is helping to address such fundamental questions as where do we come from and where are we headed, and arguably the biggest question of all: Are we alone in the universe?

Grunsfeld said thanks to Kepler's latest finding, we're taking "one small step in answering that question today."

While scientists are uncertain whether Planet 452b is rocky like Earth, they believe there's a better than even chance it is.

As for the age and size, it is about 6 billion years old, 1.5 billion years older than Earth, and 60 percent larger in diameter than our home planet. Its star, Kepler 452, is also older and bigger, as well as brighter than our sun.

If the planet is indeed rocky, geologists believe its mass would be five times that of Earth and its gravity would be twice Earth's. (That's right, you would weigh twice as much there.) Its atmosphere would be thicker and have more clouds, and any volcanoes would likely still be active.

Planet 452b takes 385 days to orbit its star, just a little more than Earth takes for a one-year lap. It's just a bit farther from its star than Earth is from our sun. That's important because it makes the planet ripe, potentially, for liquid water on the surface. And water could mean life.

The planet is in a solar system that is 1,400 light years from our own, located in the Constellation Cygnus, or swan.

"So pack your bags, it's a long trip," joked Jenkins.

Planet 452b is among more than 500 new entries listed in the Kepler team's latest catalog of exoplanet candidates released Thursday. Kepler identifies potential planets by looking for periodic blips against the brightness of stars — some 150,000 stars to be exact.

Of those 500-plus new potential planets, 12 are less than twice Earth's diameter and also orbiting in the so-called habitable zone of their star, also known as the just-right Goldilocks zone.

Kepler 452b is the first of those 12 to be confirmed as a true planet, thanks to ground observations.

Altogether, the catalog now includes 4,696 exoplanet candidates. Slightly more than 1,000 of them — 1,030 — are confirmed to be planets.
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Online: NASA: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/kepler/main/index.html


-- (c) Associated Press 2015-07-24

at last now theres soon another option where to live other than thailand

Bear in minds that the picture that this telescope took, was 14,000 lights years away, for all we know,

this planet could be way different now...

Bear in minds that the picture that this telescope took, was 14,000 lights years away, for all we know,

this planet could be way different now...

quote--

The planet is in a solar system that is 1,400 light years from our own, located in the Constellation Cygnus, or swan.

--unquote

at last now theres soon another option where to live other than Thailand

Maybe.

But it's 1.5 billion years older than earth, so I wonder if that's enough time for the inhabitants (it any) to totally destroy the planet and mankind (if any) no longer able to exist.

There seems to be a steady increase in the number of articles and news reports discussing the possibility of extra-terrestrial life. It is almost as if we are being primed for some big discovery...

There seems to be a steady increase in the number of articles and news reports discussing the possibility of extra-terrestrial life. It is almost as if we are being primed for some big discovery...

Oh dont encourage the conspiracy nuts, it is very arrogant of mankind to assume they are the only ones in the universe, of course there is extra-terrestrial life, but that doesnt mean little green men have visted or about to visit earth

If we sent a radio message out tomorrow, the soonest we could expect a response would be around 28,000 years.

...why are we directing attention away from Pluto...to 1000+ light years......

...here we go again....

...come on conspiracy theorists.....

...it does seem rather odd...

...like when the cameras went off when the comet was passing the other time......

...and when the camera landed on the comet more recently.....

....seems like we are meant to stay in the dark ages...

If we sent a radio message out tomorrow, the soonest we could expect a response would be around 28,000 years.

I hope the message is something relevant if we are going to wait that long. I hope it isn't something like:

"Hi, how are you?"

or...

"Do you have the lottery numbers for next week?"

There are 10 to 20 billion planets in the Milky Way that reside in a habitable zone around their star, if you extrapolate the numbers.

There are an estimated 70 billion trillion stars is the astronomers latest guess.

More than likely, there are trillions of earth like planets out there.

That's a lot of work do accomplish in 6 days. No wonder God took Sunday off.

If we sent a radio message out tomorrow, the soonest we could expect a response would be around 28,000 years.

Earthlings first message to our alien neighbours is on the way.

If they are watching and listening, this is it.

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_Ix7-JJx9xQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

75 years of television programming is on the way.

Look how far science has come in the last 200 Years when most thought the Earth was Flat

If we sent a radio message out tomorrow, the soonest we could expect a response would be around 28,000 years.

It's like they owed us money, or something.

T

at last now theres soon another option where to live other than Thailand

Maybe.

But it's 1.5 billion years older than earth, so I wonder if that's enough time for the inhabitants (it any) to totally destroy the planet and mankind (if any) no longer able to exist.

They sent a spaceship out to the 3rd rock from that star 1,400 (or 14,000?) light years away, just before they all died off...

If we sent a radio message out tomorrow, the soonest we could expect a response would be around 28,000 years.

I hope the message is something relevant if we are going to wait that long. I hope it isn't something like:

"Hi, how are you?"

or...

"Do you have the lottery numbers for next week?"

No no no.

"I have $25,000,000,000,000,000 left to me by the former leader of our galaxy and all I need is your account number to deposit the money..."

Edited August 9, 201510 yr by impulse