NASA scientists discovered Kepler-452b, a planet 1,400 light years away from our planet. It has the potential to be “Earth 2.0,” a planet orbiting within the “habitable zone” of a star that resembles our sun.
In the image above, you can see how Earth (left) measures up beside Kepler-452b.
The planet is probably rocky, measuring 60 percent larger than Earth to make it a super-Earth-size planet. It has a 385-day orbit around its sun, and is the 4,696th planet discovered during NASA’s 20-year long mission to discover habitable planets.
Astronomers still do not know the “mass and composition” of the planet, but NASA data analyst Jon Jenkins offered a provocative assessment:
“We can think of Kepler-452b as an older, bigger cousin to Earth, providing an opportunity to understand and reflect upon Earth’s evolving environment … It’s awe-inspiring to consider that this planet has spent 6 billion years in the habitable zone of its star; longer than Earth. That’s substantial opportunity for life to arise, should all the necessary ingredients and conditions for life exist on this planet.”