NASA Detects Hidden Exoplanet Mirroring Characteristics Of Earth. In a groundbreaking find, NASA scientists have detected a hidden exoplanet that eerily mirrors the characteristics of our own planet. This remarkable discovery opens doors to new possibilities in the search for life beyond Earth.
Although NASA’s Kelper Space Telescope had run out of fuel needed for further science operations, it has transmitted promoting data back to Earth.
According to NASA, a team of transatlantic scientists were looking through old observations from the now-retired Kelper space telescope when they discovered the planet, Kelper-1649c, orbiting in its star’s habitable zone. Kelper ran out of fuel and went to sleep in 2018, but scientists are still studying the data it collected during its epic hunt for planets beyond our own solar system. Of all the exoplanets found by the Kelper telescope, NASA says that this distant world – which is located 300 light-years from us is most similar to Earth in size and estimated temperature. The planet is located in its star’s habitable zone, a region where liquid water can exist.
Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate in Washington, said: “This intriguing, distant world gives us even greater hope that a second Earth lies among the stars, waiting to be found. The data gathered by missions like Kelper and our Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satelite (TESS) will continue to yield amazing discoveries as the science community refines its abilities to look for promising planets year after year”.
However, we should hold off on packing, as many aspects of the planet remain unknown.
The exoplanet is approximately 1.06 times larger than Earth and the exoplanet’s temperature may be similar to our planet’s because it receives 75% of the amount of light we get from our sun. The team of scientists behind the Kelper mission designed an algorithm, called Robovetter, to look through the data, and determine which of the brightness dips were likely exoplanets and which were false positives. A team of scientists manually reviewed Kepler data and rediscovered the planet six years after an algorithm initially misidentified it.
“If we hadn’t looked over the algorithm’s work by hand, we would have missed it” Andrew Vanderbug, a researcher at the University of Texas at Austin and first author on the paper, said in a statement.
While it might look promising, scientists say that the Kelper-1649c is in orbit around a type of star that “is known for stellar flare-ups that may make a planet’s environment challenging for any potential life”. Scientists require additional testing to uncover the planet’s atmospheric secrets and assess its potential for supporting life. However, we do know that it is in the Goldilocks Zone a region a star where it is neither too hot nor too cold for life to exist.
“This discovery could be a significant piece in the puzzle of finding habitable environments, places that are conducive to life,” said Thomas Zurbuchen. “Answering the question ‘Are we alone’ is a top science priority and finding so many planets like these for the first time in the habitable zone is a remarkable step forward toward that goal”.
Conclusion
NASA also explained that since Kelper-1649c has an extremely close orbit with the star known for stellar flare-ups, a year on Kelper-1649c is equivalent to only 19.5 Earth days. NASA reports that while other exoplanets match Earth’s size and temperature, none combine both values as closely while also residing in the Goldilocks Zone.
In conclusion, this remarkable find rekindles our awe for the vast, uncharted expanse of space. Scientists are unraveling the secrets of this mirror Earth, revealing the vast mysteries of the cosmos and the limitless potential for discovery.
