Kepler-186f, the First Validated Earth-size Planet Orbiting a Distant Atar in the Habitable Zone (VIDEO)
Caption
This animation depicts Kepler-186f, the first validated Earth-size planet orbiting a distant star in the habitable zone -- a range of distances from a star where liquid water might pool on the surface of an orbiting planet. The discovery of Kepler-186f confirms that Earth-size planets exist in the habitable zone of other stars and signals a significant step closer to finding a world similar to Earth. Kepler-186f is less than ten percent larger than Earth in size, but its mass and composition are not known.
Credit
Credit: Sean Raymond.
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