Astronomers have discovered a planet nearly the same size as Earth that orbits in its star’s habitable zone, where liquid water could exist on its surface, a new study said.
The presence of liquid water also indicates the planet could support life.
This newly found world, Kepler-1649c, is 300 light-years away from Earth and orbits a star that is about one-fourth the size of our sun.
What’s exciting is that out of all the 2,000+ exoplanets that have been discovered using observations from the Kepler Space Telescope, this world is most similar to Earth both in size and estimated temperature, NASA said.
An exoplanet is a planet that’s outside of our solar system.
“This intriguing, distant world gives us even greater hope that a second Earth lies among the stars, waiting to be found,” said Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator of NASA’s science mission directorate in Washington, D.C.
China didn’t warn public of likely pandemic for 6 key days
Read more: USA Today
Ask me anything
Explore related questions
