spacetoday.net: Astronomers detect more possible Earth-like planets in Kepler data

Posted: Sat, Jan 10, 2015, 8:28 AM ET (1328 GMT)
Kepler-438b and Kepler-442b (NASA)

Astronomers announced this week they have discovered several more planets with sizes and orbits similar to Earth in data collected by NASA's Kepler mission. Scientists said three of eight newly-confirmed planets in the Kepler data orbit in their stars' habitable zones, where their temperatures would allow liquid water to exist on those planets' surfaces. Two of the planets are likely rocky, with diameters a third to a half larger than the Earth; the third, somewhat larger than the other two, may be a mix of rock and ice. The three are part of a group of eight exoplanets detected in Kepler data and confirmed by other techniques, bringing the total number of confirmed Kepler exoplanets to more than 1,000. Scientists also announced the detection of 554 planet candidates in the latest analysis of Kepler data, with the total of those potential planets now at 4,175.