NASA finds 9 planets suspected of having life outside the solar system

NASA has announced that scientists have discovered 1,284 new planets outside our solar system, at least nine of which may support life.

The number of new planets found outside the solar system has doubled following NASA's announcement.

The Kepler telescope was launched into space in May 2009 to search for extraterrestrial life.

To date, a total of 21 planets have been found in the “Goldilocks Zone” by Kepler. Planets classified as being in the “Goldilocks Zone” must have temperatures that are neither too hot nor too cold to support life.

Simulation of the Kepler telescope in space. Photo: NASA.

Of the nine new planets that promise life, the planet named Kepler 1638b is the most notable.

This planet is about 60% larger than Earth, with an orbit of 259 days. If the planet Kepler 1638 b were placed in the solar system, its position would be between Earth and Venus.

“One of the big questions is whether we are alone in the universe,” said Paul Hertz, director of the Astrophysics Division at NASA Headquarters in Washington.

“We are living in an age where we can answer this question scientifically,” continued Paul Hertz. “The first sign of answering the question is the search for exoplanets.”

“Today’s announcement adds a significant number of exoplanets to our knowledge. When NASA launched Kepler, we had no idea whether exoplanets would be abundant or rare.

Thanks to Kepler, we now know that the number of exoplanets is huge, most stars in the galaxy have their own planetary system, and even some planets found have the potential to support life,” emphasized Mr. Paul Hertz.

The Kepler mission is expected to end next year and will be replaced by new telescopes in the coming years.

The James Webb Space Telescope is scheduled to launch in 2018, with in-depth research capabilities to gather more information about planetary atmospheres, while WFIRST will track down gases that could indicate life could exist.

“The team’s ultimate goal is to detect the light from a suspected exoplanet and analyze whether gases such as oxygen, carbon dioxide, and methane are present on that planet, which could provide clues to the ecosystem on the planet being studied,” Hertz added./.

According to VOV