Earth’s closest cousin – Polish Radio

Among the fascinating data provided by the Kepler space telescope is a whole group of extraterrestrial planets, but one in particular reminds us – the Blue Planet.

 

It’s called 452b and NASA experts of all known extrasolar planets, it is precisely the most similar to Earth. – We think it’s a close cousin or detached, if you will, the Earth 2.0 – explains John Grunsfeld from NASA.

 

In the neighborhood

 

echoed by John Jenkins, an analyst data from the telescope Kepler: “Give this information is a pleasure. It’s like someone new moved in next door to us.”

 

In the neighborhood, because lying in the constellation Cygnus planet is upon us away 1,400 light-years; This seemingly far away, but in relation to the whole universe is like on the other side of the street.

 

This cousin is older and larger – about 60 percent of Earth.

 

What’s more, this planet is in the so-called habitable zone, is not it, neither too cold nor too hot; So theoretically there may be liquid water, which is a necessary condition for the existence of life. It takes one year to 385 days.

 

It orbits a star very similar to our sun. This star is only about four percent more massive and ten percent brighter than the sun.

 
 

NASA Ames Research Center / You Tube

 

Weight and rocks

 

It is not known how much it weighs 452b and how exactly it looks, for example, whether it is rocky, like Earth. These properties is more difficult to determine.

 

– But if in fact it is a rocky planet (…) is growing aging energy emitted by the sun can heat the surface through which the oceans will evaporate. In this case, the steam disappear from this planet forever. Kepler-452b could be in a phase in which it will be Earth for a billion years when the sun will shine brighter and age – explains connected with the mission Kepler Dr. Doug Caldwell of the Seti Institute.

 

Merit Kepler

 

During his six-year mission Kepler telescope has discovered more than a thousand extrasolar planets. Twelve of them were considered Earth-like planets, some much closer in size to our planet than 452b.

 

But given the all features and external factors from all twelve known cousins ​​Earth, this is Kepler 452b is most similar to our planet, NASA experts say.

 

Rafal Motriuk / IAR