Snappy newsletters. Simple Facebook sharing. Spirited comments. Sweet features are waiting… GET THEM NOW!

NASA Spots Habitable Earth-Like Planet

Kepler-22b averages 72 degrees and may have oceans

By Neal Colgrass, Newser Staff

Posted Dec 5, 2011 5:29 PM CST

(Newser) – Finally, an Earth-like planet where the weather is nice enough for an occasional visit. Only, it's 600 light-years away. Today NASA announced the existence of Kepler-22b, the first-ever planet discovered in the "habitable zone" of a sun-like star—where temperatures are placid enough to allow for water, ScienceNOW reports. "It's a great gift," says one scientist. "We were very fortunate to find it."

Kepler-22b averages about 72 degrees, with a 290-day year and a sun about as far away as ours, the AP reports. But it's 2.4 times bigger than our planet, possibly too large to support life. Perhaps it's a gas-and-liquid planet like Neptune, but with ocean water everywhere. Still, "this discovery shows that we Homo sapiens are straining our reach into the universe to find planets that remind us of home," one scientist says. "We are almost there." (Read about a giant planet that may have left our solar system eons ago.)

(NASA)

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow

CLICK BELOW TO VOTE

27%

68%

To report an error on this story, notify our editors.

More Newser Stories

Space Telescope Spots Earth-Sized Worlds

Kepler discoveries are smallest exoplanets yet found

(NEWSER) - For the first time, scientists have discovered planets roughly the size of ours outside our solar system. Kepler-20e and Kepler-20f are the smallest exoplanets yet found, Discovery reports. Because they're so close to the star they orbit, they don't appear habitable, but the finding is "next major milestone to finding habitable planets beyond our solar system," says a NASA scientist. More»

Kepler Results Boost Chances of Finding Alien Life

For every two suns, an Earth-like planet

(NEWSER) - Exciting news for alien enthusiasts: The discovery by NASA scientists of a vast trove of Earth-like planets orbiting distant suns boosts our chances of finding extraterrestrial life. Findings from the Kepler telescope revealed that for every two stars in the universe, one has an Earth-like "candidate planet" orbiting it, the Telegraph reports. Says a chief Kepler scientist, "I am really delighted that we are seeing so many candidate planets and that means there is a rich ocean of planets out there to explore." Before this, just two potentially habitable planets had been discovered outside our solar system. More»

Chile Quake Shifted Earth's Axis, Shortened Day

Moving masses of rock by several meters affects rotation

(NEWSER) - The magnitude 8.8 earthquake that hit Chile may have actually shifted the Earth's axis, shortening the length of a day, a NASA scientist says. Moving hundreds of kilometers of rock changes the earth's distribution of mass, and, in turn, changes the planet's rate of rotation. In this case, the axis likely shifted by about 3 inches, shortening the day by about 1.26 microseconds. More»

Alien Life 'Inevitable': Astronomer

Countless Earth-like planets likely in universe

(NEWSER) - Scientists now believe there could be as many habitable planets in the cosmos as there are stars, and that makes life’s existence elsewhere “inevitable” over billions of years, says one. “It is sort of like running an experiment in your refrigerator—turn it off and something will grow in there,” Alan Boss says. The universe may be full of other life, but he says it’s highly unlikely we’ll find intelligent beings existing while we do, the Telegraph reports. More»

Mercury Is Shrinking

Messenger spacecraft reveals planets core still molten

(NEWSER) - The planet Mercury is shrinking, the LA Times reports. Data from NASA’s Mercury Messenger spacecraft reveal that the planet’s diameter has shrunk by a mile over its history, probably because its core is cooling. Messenger flew in for a close-up in January, and scientists are now piecing together the new information and re-evaluating some long-held beliefs about the planet. More»

NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS

What is Newser?

Face it: there's too much news. At Newser, we choose the most thought-provoking and entertaining stories from hundreds of US and international sources and reduce them to a headline, picture, and two paragraphs. And we do it 24/7—you can come back morning, noon, night (and in between) for something new that matters. Read less, know more.

Learn more »

Partnering with: Slate

View Newser on the mobile website

NASA Spots Habitable Earth-Like Planet

Kepler-22b averages 72 degrees and may have oceans

OTHER STORIES ON OUR RADAR

NASA • planet • Earth • NASA announcement • Kepler telescope

MOST POPULAR STORIES

[ By Views ]

[ By Comments ]

More Newser Stories

Space Telescope Spots Earth-Sized Worlds

Kepler discoveries are smallest exoplanets yet found

Kepler Results Boost Chances of Finding Alien Life

For every two suns, an Earth-like planet

Chile Quake Shifted Earth's Axis, Shortened Day

Moving masses of rock by several meters affects rotation

Alien Life 'Inevitable': Astronomer

Countless Earth-like planets likely in universe

Mercury Is Shrinking

Messenger spacecraft reveals planets core still molten

About Us

Site

Community

Site Maps

Tools

More News

What is Newser?