Meet Kepler, Earth's Bigger and Older Cousin

| July 23, 2015 in Lifestyle

Local Community Advertising

Turns out earth has an older, bigger cousin.

NASA’s Kepler mission has confirmed the existence of the first planet that mirrors Earth the most. The near-Earth-size planet resides in the "habitable zone" of the Kepler-452 system and circles around a sun-like-star.

Located about 1,400 light-years from Earth in the constellation of Cygnus, the planet is about 60 per cent larger than our own.

Although believed to host a rather rocky topography, the exact mass and composition of the newly discovered planet is still unknown.

The sun radiating over Kepler-452 is six billion years old, 1.5 billion years older than the Earth's sun. Outshining our own star in the sky, Kepler’s sun is 10 per cent larger and 20 per cent brighter.

The Kepler mission was launched back in 2009 and has since identified over 1,000 planets living within the starry abyss. 

Local Community Advertising

Trending Stories

BC Mounties 'very concerned' about missing 29-year-old woman

'Highly destructive' tree-killing insect found in BC for first time

Decades-old temperature record broken in chilly Merritt

'Very traumatizing': COS says orphaned BC bear is too old to rehabilitate

BC government implores Meta to unblock news as another wildfire season begins

Woof woof! Dog-friendly patios abound in Kelowna

Wooldridge steps down as RDCO board chair

Wine tour by horseback, Airstream, hike, bike or electric people mover