NASA closer than ever to finding Earth's 'twin'

January 07, 2015 03:58

NASA is closer than ever to finding a twin for the Earth, astronomers said today, announcing the discovery of eight new planets that circle in the habitable zones of their stars.

Two of the eight are the most Earth-like of any known planets found so far outside our solar system, astronomers told the 225th meeting of the American Astronomical Society in Seattle, Washington.

The pair are likely to have hard, rocky surfaces in addition to being an orbiting distance from their stars that is neither too hot nor too cold for water and possibly life to exist, astronomers said.

The discovery doubles the number of known planets that are close in size to the Earth and believed to be in the so-called "Goldilocks zone" of the stars they orbit.

"We are now closer than we have ever been to finding a twin for the Earth around another star," said Fergal Mullally of the Kepler Science Office.

"These candidates represent the closest analogs to the Earth's own system found to date."

The worlds were found with the help of NASA's planet-hunting Kepler mission, a space telescope which has scoured more than 150,000 stars for planets beyond our solar system since its launch in 2009.

The latest trove of candidate planets found by Kepler and announced today was 554, bringing the total potential planets to 4,175.

« Back to LIVE

TOP STORIES

Saudi Smash TT: Manika shocks World No 2 Wang

Manika Batra shocked World No. 2 Wang Manyu of China to secure the biggest win of her singles career.

Bomb threats: HC seeks police's school evacuation plan

Justice Subramonium Prasad said though police have filed a status report listing the standard operating procedure for bomb detection and disposal squads and the guidelines to deal with bomb threats in schools, they have not submitted...

IPL PIX: SKY smashes century as MI ease past SRH

Suryakumar Yadav smashed an unbeaten century as Mumbai Indians eased past Sunrisers Hyderabad by seven wickets.

Probe an eyewash: HC acquits ex-BJP MP in RTI activist's murder case

Observing that the trial court conducted proceedings with a "predetermined notion of conviction", a division bench of Justices AS Supehia and Vimal K Vyas quashed the CBI court's order sentencing Solanki and the six others to life...

Relay star wants to set an example for Indian athletes

'if my body is giving me company why should I stop the sport? Some foreign athletes run till 35 or 37. So I wanted to set an example for other athletes that age does not matter,' says MR Poovamma, Arjuna Awardee and the senior-most...