Abstract
SEATTLE-NASA's Venerable Planet-Hunter, The Kepler spacecraft , ITS has Shaken One-Thousandth Planet from The Sky. Eight new worlds beyond our solar system, announced Tuesday, boost the number of Kepler's confirmed planets to 1,004 (if you're keeping count), including two of the most Earthlike planets discovered so far. Those are each less than 2.7 Eight New Worlds Times The size of Earth, astronomers Reported at TheAmerican Astronomical Society 'S Annual Winter Meeting. But hiding in the wings, among a group of 554 newly announced planet candidates, is an even more tantalizing set of planets. "These candidates represent the closest analogues to the Earth-sun system found to date, and this is what Kepler has been looking for. We are now closer than we have ever been to finding a twin for Earth around a star," says Fergal Mullally. of The SETI Institute and NASA's Ames Research Center . Kepler's eight newly confirmed planets are all relatively small, and they all orbit stars that are smaller and cooler than the sun. Depending which Calculations Use scientists, at least Three of The Eight-planets-and Perhaps all are in The Parent habitable Zones of their stars . This is the region where temperatures are just right for supporting liquid water on the planet's surface. (Learn more About planets in habitable-Zone " Most Earth-Like Planet Kepler Telescope discovers Yet . "). At least two of those planets, Kepler 438-b and Kepler 442-b, are likely to be rocky, like Earth. "We Have The significantly increased number of these verified, Small, habitable planets from Kepler-Zone," says Doug Caldwell of The SETI Institute and NASA's Ames Research Center. "They really make up a special population that is of interest for understanding the prevalence of life in the universe. Yesterday we had five Kepler exoplanets in this special hall of fame, and today we have eight in this elite club.".
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