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I KNOW THAT EARTH IS A PLANET WHICH ONLY HAS LIVING THINGS. IS ANY OTHER PLANETS OF ANY OTHER STARS HAS LIVING THINGS? |
An Earth-like planet spotted outside our solar system is the first found that could support liquid water and harbor life, scientists announced. Liquid water is a key ingredient for life. The new found planet is located at the "Goldilocks" distance-not too close and not too far from its star to keep water on its surface from freezing or vaporizing away. And while astronomers are not yet able to look for signs of biology on the planet, the discovery is a milestone in planet detection and the search for extraterrestrial life, one with the potential to profoundly change our outlook on the universe. NASA has made it a mission to discover the truth. In March 2009, the space agency launched the Kepler Mission, a NASA Discovery program designed to look for possible life-supporting planets. In just the first 16 months of operation, Kepler has discovered 2,326 potential planets. Kepler-22, which was the first exoplanet discovered by Kepler to orbit in a star’s habitable zone. This means that Kepler-22 may have liquid water on it like Earth, making it our closest possible sister planet. As NASA writes, “the planet is 2.4 times the size of Earth, making it the smallest yet found to orbit in the middle of the habitable zone of a star like our sun.” ( Katherine Butler) reports NASA scientists. |