The exoplanet rotates around a star very similar to the Sun and its year lasts 378 days.
About 3,000 light years from the solar system, scientists may have finally found the “twin” planet of Earth.
It is called KOI-456.04, which stands out among the 4,000 exoplanets discovered so far. The finding was developed by analyzing ancient data collected by NASA’s Kleper Mission.
KOI-456.04 is about 1.9 times the size of Earth, is potentially habitable, revolves around a star much like the Sun, and its year lasts 378 days.
The preliminary results on the exoplanet were published a few days ago in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics.
The study He was in charge of a team of astronomers led by researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research in Göttingen, Germany, and the universities of California, in Santa Cruz, in the United States, in addition to the NASA space agency.
What other characteristics make KOI-456.04 similar to Earth?
The KOI-456.04 star called Kepler-160 emits visible light, similar to Earth’s, and not infrared radiation like other exoplanets, smaller and weaker than the Sun.
The KOI-456.04 is “relatively large compared to others considered potentially habitable,” however, “the combination of its less than twice the Earth’s size and the type of central star in the system make it so special and familiar.” , detail the experts.
Despite the findings, the scientists They warn that there is still a lack of research to officially declare it a planet.
“Currently it cannot be entirely ruled out that KOI-456.04 is a statistical error or a systematic error of measurement rather than a genuine planet”they wrote. For now they estimated its planetary nature at 85%, but “Obtaining a formal status requires 99%”.
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