Podcasts Science Astronomy Travelers In The Night 31E-43-First Earth-Size Planet In 'Habitable Zone

31E-43-First Earth-Size Planet In 'Habitable Zone

Published: July 2, 2019, 3 p.m.

b'The Kepler Space Craft has found tiny regular dips in light from a star which is about 500 light years away in the constellation of Cygnus. The dips in brightness come about when planets pass between their star and the Earth. This particular star has at least 5 planets. One of them is named Kepler-186f. It is similar to the Earth in size and is located at a distance from its star which may allow life as we know it to exist. This newly discovered cousin to our Earth orbits a M dwarf star which is very much cooler than our Sun. Its year is only 130 days long'