Kepler spacecraft discovers 20 Earth-like planets that could harbor life

Data collected by the Kepler spacecraft shows that many new planets possess conditions suitable for life to develop.

Data from the Kepler spacecraft shows that many planets have the potential to develop life. Photo: iStock

When analyzing data from the Kepler spacecraft, cAstronomers have discovered 20 new planets that could have conditions suitable for life, Fox News reported today.

Similar to Earth, these planets also orbit central stars like the Sun.Each planet has a different orbital period, with one taking 395 days to complete one orbit around its central star and another taking just 18 days.

The planet, with an orbital period of 395 days, is one of the most interesting candidates, according to Jeff Coughlin, the Kepler team leader. It is about 97% the size of Earth but colder, more like the Arctic tundra.

However, the planet is still warm enough and large enough to have liquid water, a key ingredient for life. “If you were looking for a place to send a spacecraft, it would be a good choice,” Coughlin told New Scientist.

Earlier this year, the Kepler spacecraft discovered 219 new planet candidates, 10 of which could harbor life. Scientists have observed about 4,034 potential planet candidates in the Milky Way, according to NASA's Ames Research Center.

The great quest to find Earth-like planets is reaping new success thanks to the Kepler spacecraft. Scientists hope to find rocky planets that are half to twice the size of Earth and have the right conditions for life.

The Kepler spacecraft was launched and began observing a fixed area of ​​the Milky Way in 2009 to search for Earth-like planets, but was discontinued in 2013 due to technical problems. The mission resumed in 2014 and the spacecraft will transmit data until 2018.

Meanwhile, many scientists hope that humans can soon settle on Mars, a planet located right in the Solar System.Hey September, tTech billionaire Elon Musk also announced plans to send people to Mars by 2024.

According to VNE