Kepler discovers possible Earth twin
DOI: 10.1063/PT.5.027857
New York Times : The best candidate for an Earth-like exoplanet so far appears to be Kepler 186f, located some 500 light-years away. Discovered by NASA’s Kepler spacecraft, the planet is described in a paper published this week in Science as being a little wider than Earth and orbiting a red dwarf star smaller and cooler than our Sun. Nevertheless, it lies in its star’s habitable zone, meaning it could have liquid water on its surface and thus be able to support life. It is so far from Earth, however, that it could be a long time before astronomers can learn more about it, such as its mass and whether it has an atmosphere or oceans. Although an equipment failure ended Kepler‘s mission last year, the data collected will keep scientists busy for years to come.
