The Kepler telescope today found several very Earth like planets, and a couple of other ones no one really wants to talk about. In fact, NASA is even calling one "the most Earth like planet ever." Like, off all time. Science right?
(First of all, know that they got really creative with the names of these planets.)
First up is Kepler-62f is only 40% bigger than our own planet, and orbits a star that's only 20% as bright as our sun. It's neighbor, Kepler-62e circles the same star, which is 1,200 light years away (which is only about 7,054,199,780,000,000 miles, give or take. The third exoplanet spotted is called Kepler-69c is also probably the most exciting. It is 70% bigger than Earth, but revolves around a star much like our own and it's being described as the smallest world located in the habitable zone of a star akin to our own.
Usually when exoplanets are found they are too big to support life (typically, larger planets are more like Jupiter or Neptune, all gassy with little or no solid ground.) and usually don't orbit within the so called habitable zone, that perfect distance from the sun that isn't too hot or too cold, but just right.
"THIS IS THE FIRST ONE WHERE I'M THINKING 'HUH, KEPLER-62F REALLY MIGHT HAVE LIFE ON IT'," says a co-author of the study on the two, published today.Space.com says that another study indicates that the planets might be completely covered in oceans, which makes it harder for us to live there, but also just sounds epic.
As for temperature, which is always important at looking for places to live, you know, one day, chief Kepler scientist William Borucki says Kepler-62e is a bit warm, sort of like a Hawaiian world, and Kepler-62f is a bit chilly, more like Alaska.
In other, less exciting, but still awesome news, four additional planets were found in the two new solar systems identified. None of them are thought capable of supporting life, however.
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