1,284 New Planets and counting

NASA Just Announced that there are 3,264 planets in total outside our solar system.

NASA's Kepler telescope has detected the largest sample of planets to this day. Researchers say thanks to the Kepler telescope, it is possible to know whether there are more planets than stars, and to vaguely identify exoplanets (planets outside the solar system). Other than the ones announced in May, Kepler has detected 1327 possible candidates, with a 99% chance of them being planets.

This NASA project was originally designed to track down planets that could be potentially habitable planets, and it has now confirmed the existance of 9 rocky planets in a habitable zone.

The planet named Kepler-186f orbits a star (classified as an M dwarf or red dwarf) similar to our sun, in what is known as the Kepler-186 system, about 500 light-years from Earth. Although it's in a habitable zone, it is still unknown if the planet is habitable for humans. It all depends on the planet's atmosphere, temperature and other factors. Although it's considered to be the Earth's older cousin, there is still a lot to be discovered.

Sara G. 3ºBlue