NASA Prepares to Make a Big Announcement / Has Kepler Found a NEW Earth? (+Video)

Has NASA’s Planet-Hunting Kepler Space Telescope Found A New Earth?

Scientists may be getting closer to finding a ‘new Earth’, as NASA prepares to make a big announcement related to its planet-hunting Kepler Space Telescope.

When Kepler was first launched back in 2009, scientists had no idea how common planets were outside our solar system. 

Astronomers now believe there may be at least one planet orbiting every star in the sky.

Kepler’s mission is to search for potentially habitable planets beyond Earth. 

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NASA will be announcing its latest findings at 1pm on Tuesday 10 May. 

Kepler has already discovered around 1,000 exoplanets – the name given to planets that orbit a star outside of our solar system.

Last year, Kepler spotted an exoplanet capable of supporting life. Named Kepler 452b, the planet sits roughly the same distance from its parent star as Earth does from the sun.
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The giant space telescope ran into difficulties last month but NASA managed to bring it back online after briefly losing touch with it.

NASA will be live steaming its big reveal on Tuesday.
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Clips, images credit: ESO, ESA/HUBBLE & NASA

Image credit: NASA