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Kepler-452b
Dardanus
Member Posts: 2,623
in Tug Tavern
Is the name of a planet. A planet similar to Earth.
http://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-kepler-mission-discovers-bigger-older-cousin-to-earth
NASA announced the discovery of the first near-Earth-size planet in the “habitable zone” around a sun-like star.
For you barbarians, the "habitable zone" is the area around a star thought to be able to sustain life. Not too hot, not too cold. Ideal for liquid water and all that good stuff.
This discovery was made with the Kepler telescope, whose sole purpose is to discover planets outside our solar system. Finding planets is extremely difficult because planets do not emit light.
What a cool day for NASA, man.
http://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-kepler-mission-discovers-bigger-older-cousin-to-earth
NASA announced the discovery of the first near-Earth-size planet in the “habitable zone” around a sun-like star.
For you barbarians, the "habitable zone" is the area around a star thought to be able to sustain life. Not too hot, not too cold. Ideal for liquid water and all that good stuff.
This discovery was made with the Kepler telescope, whose sole purpose is to discover planets outside our solar system. Finding planets is extremely difficult because planets do not emit light.
What a cool day for NASA, man.
Comments
So Jupiter is bright because it's large, and when it's close to us it reflects a lot of light relative to smaller planets that may be closer to us (Mars, Venus).
The way the Kepler telescope discovers planets is by measuring the decrease of a star's brightness when a planet passes in front of it. Just like an eclipse, when a planet passes in front of a star, the star's brightness decreases.
It's a very small change because the planet is tiny compared to the star. This is why it's a difficult task.
note: IrishDoog (RIP) would be sweating bullets reading this poast