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NASA’s Kepler Mission Discovers Tiny Planet System

By Guest PostFebruary 22, 2013Science210 light years, ames research center, analyze, asteroseismic analysis, asteroseismology, astronomers, constellation lyra, data, earth, earth sized planets, earthquakes, geologists, habitable zone, high frequency oscillations, inhospitable worlds, interior structure, jack lissauer, kepler 37, kepler 37b, kepler 37c, kepler 37d, kepler mission, mercury, moffett field, NASA, orbiting our sun, orbiting planet, planets, rocky in composition, seismic waves, smallest planet, solar system, star, thomas barclay, tiny planet system

PASADENA, Calif. — NASA’s Kepler mission scientists have discovered a new planetary system that is home to the smallest planet yet found around a star similar to our sun.

The planets are located in a system called Kepler-37, about 210 light-years from Earth in the constellation Lyra. The smallest planet, Kepler-37b, is slightly larger than our moon, measuring about one-third the size of Earth. It is smaller than Mercury, which made its detection a challenge. (more…)

NASA’s Kepler Discovers 461 New Planet Candidates

By Guest PostJanuary 11, 2013Science461 new planet, ames research center, candidate, christopher burke, discovery, earth size, exoplanet archive, habitable zone, institute, jack lissauer, kepler catalog, kepler data, kepler mission, liquid water, masquerade, moffett field, mountain view, multi planet system, NASA, orbit, orbital period, planet, planetary candidates, potential planet, seti, size of earth, spacecraft instrumentation, steve howell, surface

PASADENA, Calif. – NASA’s Kepler mission Monday announced the discovery of 461 new planet candidates. Four of the potential new planets are less than twice the size of Earth and orbit in their sun’s “habitable zone,” the region in the planetary system where liquid water might exist on the surface of a planet.

Based on observations conducted from May 2009 to March 2011, the findings show a steady increase in the number of smaller-size planet candidates and the number of stars with more than one candidate. (more…)

Earth-Size Planet Candidates Found in Habitable Zone

By Guest PostFebruary 3, 2011Scienceames research center, charles bolden, constellations, cygnus, earth size planet, extraterrestrial planets, Galaxy, habitable zone, jack lissauer, kepler, kepler 11, kepler 11b, kepler mission, liquid water, lyra, moffett field, NASA, science fiction, space telescope, star, william borucki

PASADENA, Calif. — NASA’s Kepler mission has discovered its first Earth-size planet candidates and its first candidates in the habitable zone, a region where liquid water could exist on a planet’s surface. Five of the potential planets are near Earth-size and orbit in the habitable zone of smaller, cooler stars than our sun.

Candidates require follow-up observations to verify they are actual planets. Kepler also found six confirmed planets orbiting a sun-like star, Kepler-11. This is the largest group of transiting planets orbiting a single star yet discovered outside our solar system. (more…)

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NASA’s Kepler Mission Discovers Tiny Planet System

NASA’s Kepler Discovers 461 New Planet Candidates

Earth-Size Planet Candidates Found in Habitable Zone