This illustration shows Kepler-186f, the first confirmed Earth-sized planet found in its star's habitable zone, where water could potentially exist.; Credit: NASA/Ames Institue/JPL-Caltech
Scientists manning NASA's Kepler space telescope have discovered a distant planet orbiting a star 500 light years away that may turn out to look a lot like Earth. The planet appears to be made of rock and is orbiting close enough to its star that it is in the 'habitable zone' where the temperature would be just right to sustain liquid water.
Where there's water, there could be life, according to researchers. But don't start packing your bags to move to 'Earth's cousin' anytime soon. The 'Kepler-186f' - as the new planet is unceremoniously known - orbits a type of star known as an M-dwarf, which emits high levels of radiation. Any type of life able to withstand such intense radiation would be very different from anything we know on Earth.
The planet is also so far away that it's nearly impossible to study, leaving a lot of unanswered questions about whether it is home to water or any type of life. But if there is at least one Earth-like planet out there, might there be more?
What would it take for scientists to identify signs of life on a planet as distant as the Kepler-186f? What does this discovery mean for planetary science?
Guest:
Sanden Totten, KPCC science reporter