NASA's Kepler Confirms Its First Planet In Habitable Zone

[Kaitou Ace]

This artist's conception illustrates Kepler-22b, a planet known to comfortably circle in the habitable zone of a sun-like star. Image credit: NASA/Ames/JPL-Caltech
› Full image and caption

December 05, 2011
PASADENA, Calif. -- NASA's Kepler mission has confirmed its first planet in the "habitable zone," the region around a star where liquid water could exist on a planet's surface. Kepler also has discovered more than 1,000 new planet candidates, nearly doubling its previously known count. Ten of these candidates are near-Earth-size and orbit in the habitable zone of their host star. Candidates require follow-up observations to verify they are actual planets.

The newly confirmed planet, Kepler-22b, is the smallest yet found to orbit in the middle of the habitable zone of a star similar to our sun. The planet is about 2.4 times the radius of Earth. Scientists don't yet know if Kepler-22b has a predominantly rocky, gaseous or liquid composition, but its discovery is a step closer to finding Earth-like planets.

Previous research hinted at the existence of near-Earth-size planets in habitable zones, but clear confirmation proved elusive. Two other small planets orbiting stars smaller and cooler than our sun recently were confirmed on the very edges of the habitable zone, with orbits more closely resembling those of Venus and Mars.

"This is a major milestone on the road to finding Earth's twin," said Douglas Hudgins, Kepler program scientist at NASA Headquarters in Washington. "Kepler's results continue to demonstrate the importance of NASA's science missions, which aim to answer some of the biggest questions about our place in the universe."

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http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.cfm?release=2011-373

Cool stuff, we're seeing more things like that now ^_^

Maybe now we'll finally see some aliens!

Are you still going on about that?

Of course! Our goal is still to find aliens, espers and time travelers!

...

[Meteorkeeper]

Lol that’s pretty cool
Here is to hopeing they find even more interesting things in the near future.

[animeyay]

If I start flying there now, would I be able to reach that planet before my dead body completely decomposes?

[Light Buster]

Another habitable planet? Cool, I'm in. (JK)

Anyways, nice to see other planets like Earth. (Hopefully nobody goes and messes it up like Earth.)

[ghostthegreat]

It's nice to see another planet like earth, but they really need to work on space travel so we can actually get there. Hopefully, there will be some big technological leaps in the next hundred years.

[Kaitou Ace]

If I start flying there now, would I be able to reach that planet before my dead body completely decomposes?

Of course!

The cold vacuum of space should keep your body from decomposing for quite a while

Hm, need to add tenchi muyo, or similar, I was looking for a good "mad scientist" speaky for that second line, and gendou is close, but not quite it

[animeyay]

Of course!

The cold vacuum of space should keep your body from decomposing for quite a while

How ironically unacceptable and embarrassing it would be if a high-tech spaceship should lack air-con

[Ashminigun]

Even they have found planets that are similar condition to Earth, it's now the matter of developing and innovating the technology to colonize space. Sadly, we're still far from returning man to the Moon and sending one to Mars and beyond.

[solidarmor]

I love stuff like this...Astronomy was my fav. in school. Im hoping there are worlds out there for us. Though 2.4 size of Earth would mean hard times in breathing and walking.

I still think saving the Discovery as a space only carrier, while a new shuttle is in development would be a keen notion. No need to bring it back...and build a refueling station half way between Earth and the moon.

[Velvet_Nightmare]

This only fuels my desire for space travel further.

[Cantelope]

Man, I would go nuts if we ever end up actually going there either physically or remotely and discover even ONE eukaryote or prokaryote. Anything bigger than that would probably blow my mind.

[Meenah]

I think this is really cool. I doubt I'll be around when it does happen, I just hope the future will take care of the planet if we're able to go live there. And say there is inhabitants there, let's not drive them off. After all, they have been there WAY before them. O_o Hopefully the word "respect" will mean something then.

[aether]

As it turns out all these other planets have civilisations far more advanced than ours and that our probes just brings them knocking to our doors and we get invaded.

But still we will soon stop country to country wars and start inter-galactic wars

[Derrick Remon]

I wonder if aliens have anime?

If they don't were driving them off that planet.

[Haoie]

Someday mankind will find its to that planet.

And find a 'for lease' sign.

[sabishii1/2]

When the Astronauts gets there the first thing they gonna do is to piss on the planet.... and saying out loud " Kepler-22b CONQUERED!!!"

---------- Post added at 02:22 AM ---------- Previous post was at 02:19 AM ----------

I wonder if aliens have anime?

If they don't were driving them off that planet.

Attachment 54885

That's the least our problem.... the real problem is if we ever get there they gonna call us as "Illegal Aliens"

[Albear]

If they have soldiers suited in cool outfits with special abilities as an add on, I am SO joinin their military. Halo ftw.

[aether]

Question if humans inhabited this new planet would we as a species evolve into a new kind of human due to the alterations of the new earth in comparrison to the current?

[DOOM!]

Those NASA boys must be high on Uranium powder or something. We were supposed to be colonizing Mars last year, and so far, no human being has travelled even as far as the Moon.