Astronomy and Space

Kepler-452b

Kepler-452b (sometimes quoted to be an Earth 2.0 or Earth's Cousin based on its characteristics; also known by its Kepler object of interest designation KOI-7016.01) is a disputed super-Earth exoplanet candidate. Initial reports claim it is orbiting within the inner edge of the habitable zone of the sun-like star Kepler-452 and is the only planet in the system discovered by the Kepler space telescope. It is located about 1,800 light-years (550 pc) from Earth in the constellation of Cygnus. Two subsequent reports refuted the claim but additional work has reestablished the claim. Kepler-452b orbits its star at a distance of 1.04 AU (156 million km; 97 million mi) from its host star (nearly the same distance as Earth from the Sun), with an orbital period of roughly 385 days, has a mass at least three times that of Earth, and has a radius of around 1.63 times that of Earth, or around 63% larger than earth in size. It is the first potentially rocky super-Earth planet discovered orbiting within the habitable zone of a very Sun-like star. However, it is unknown if it is entirely habitable, as it is receiving slightly more energy from its star than Earth and could be subjected to a runaway greenhouse effect. The Kepler space telescope identified the exoplanet, and its discovery was announced by NASA on 23 July 2015. The planet is about 1,800 light-years (550 pc) away from the Solar System. At the speed of the New Horizons spacecraft, at about 59,000 km/h (16,000 m/s; 37,000 mph), it would take approximately 30 million years to get there.

Also on this shelf

See also

• ▸Einstein Probe
• ▸Deformation (volcanology)
• ▸Jupiter Icy Moons Orbiter

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