In December 2017, NASA's Kepler Space Telescope made a remarkable discovery, revealing a star system with eight planets, a finding that expanded our understanding of planetary systems and their diversity. This discovery, popularly known as the Kepler-90 system, showcases the telescope's incredible capabilities and its contribution to our understanding of exoplanets and their potential for habitability.
Here are the details of this groundbreaking discovery:
**1. The Kepler Space Telescope:**
The Kepler Space Telescope is a NASA spacecraft designed to detect and study exoplanets by monitoring the brightness of stars. It was launched in 2009 and has since contributed significantly to the field of exoplanetary science. Kepler operated in what's known as the "Kepler Field" within the constellation Cygnus, where it observed over 150,000 stars simultaneously.
**2. The Kepler-90 System:**
The Kepler-90 system is a remarkable discovery that came to light as a result of Kepler's observations. It is a star system located approximately 2,500 light-years away from Earth in the constellation Draco. The central star, Kepler-90, is a G-type star similar to our Sun, and it has a planetary system with eight known planets orbiting it.
**3. Planet Identification:**
The Kepler Space Telescope identified these planets through the transit method. This method involves monitoring the dimming of a star's light when a planet passes in front of it, blocking a small portion of the star's light. By detecting these periodic dimming events, astronomers can deduce the presence of exoplanets and even make initial assessments of their characteristics.
**4. The Eight Planets:**
The Kepler-90 system's eight planets were named Kepler-90b, Kepler-90c, Kepler-90d, Kepler-90e, Kepler-90f, Kepler-90g, Kepler-90h, and Kepler-90i. These exoplanets are similar to those in our own solar system, varying in size, composition, and orbital characteristics. Some are rocky, and others are gas giants.
**5. The Discovery of Kepler-90i:**
One of the key findings of this discovery was Kepler-90i, which was the eighth planet identified in the system. This planet was comparable in size to Earth and orbited Kepler-90, the star at the center of the system.
**6. Implications and Significance:**
The discovery of the Kepler-90 system with eight planets had several significant implications:
- It demonstrated the effectiveness of the Kepler Space Telescope in detecting exoplanets, even those in multi-planet systems.
- The discovery expanded our understanding of planetary systems, showing that systems with multiple planets are not uncommon.
- The existence of Kepler-90i, a planet similar in size to Earth, raised questions about its potential for habitability, making it an intriguing object for future study.
- This discovery emphasized the importance of the search for exoplanets in the habitable zone of stars, where conditions might be suitable for life as we know it.
**7. Follow-Up Studies:**
The discovery of the Kepler-90 system prompted further observations and studies. Subsequent research focused on refining the characteristics of the exoplanets, particularly Kepler-90i. Researchers sought to learn more about the planet's atmosphere and conditions on its surface, investigating the possibility of habitability.
**8. Legacy of the Kepler Mission:**
The Kepler Space Telescope's mission came to a close in November 2018, but its legacy continues. The telescope's observations resulted in the discovery of thousands of exoplanets, significantly advancing our knowledge of planetary systems and their diversity. The Kepler-90 discovery is just one example of the numerous revelations made by this remarkable space observatory.
In summary, the discovery of the Kepler-90 system with eight planets, including Kepler-90i, expanded our understanding of planetary systems beyond our solar system. It highlighted the diversity of exoplanets and their potential for habitability, making it a significant milestone in the field of exoplanetary science and a testament to the achievements of the Kepler Space Telescope.
NASA's planet discovery program has led to many exciting finds over the last several years. Not only have we found many new planets, but we've also learned a lot about how many stars have planets. Recently, our planet discovery program led to the discovery of a new star system with eight planets. Understanding how many planets exist in a star system leads to a better understanding of how common life is in the universe.
First, let's take a look at what was discovered. The new star system contains eight planets; each planet has at least one moon. The outer two planets are about 3 times the size of Earth, while the inner five planets are less than 1/3 the size of Earth. All eight planets are thought to be solid and have water on their surfaces. Each planet is thought to have a temperature similar to that of Earth; these are great conditions for life. Also, all the planets have different percentages of Helium, which indicates varying amounts of oxygen in the atmosphere. This is great news for potential life forms!
Now that we know what to look for, let's discuss what these findings mean. A major conclusion is that this system has great potential for life and is even more habitable than we thought before. The outer two planets have plenty of water and are close enough to their sun that they see temperatures similar to those on Earth. This makes these two uninhabited worlds excellent candidates for life. However, there's still plenty of information to gather before NASA can send a crew there. First, we need to discover if these planets have any moons and - if so - how many. Then we need to identify if any of the moons host any life forms or even habitable conditions for any life forms. Only then can we determine if this star system is truly capable of supporting life or not.
We don't yet know if this system has potential for life as we know it, but it's certainly an intriguing place to start investigating! NASA is currently working on sending probes to explore each new planet in this newly discovered star system. We're excited to learn more about these potentially habitable worlds!