Exoplanet

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Kepler-452b system, Kepler-452b is the only planet that orbits around its star (Exhibit A) (Dunbar, 2015). The distance between the planet and its star is 5 percent greater than the distance between the Earth and the sun. The distance from Earth to the Sun is defined as one AU (Astronomical Unit) which is the equivalent of 149,597,870,700 meters (Sharp, 2012). Therefore, the distance between planet Kepler-452b and its star is 1.05 AU or 157,077,764,235 meters. The eccentricity of Kepler-452b’s orbit is approximately 0.035 (Planet Kepler-452 b , n.d.). This is fairly similar to Earth’s orbit’s eccentricity which varies between 0.034 and 0.05 (Graph of the eccentricity of the Earth’s orbit , n.d.). Thus, Kepler-452b’s orbit is quite similar in shape to that of planet Earth’s. The mass of the planet is approximated to be five times the mass of planet Earth as Kepler-452b’s diameter is 60% larger (Feltman, 2015).

Kepler-452 exoplanetary system has shown tremendous hope for life beyond Earth. It resembles planet earth and its solar system in many ways. However, there are some major differences between life on Earth and how life would be on Kepler-452b. First, Kepler-452b is in the constellation Cygnus which is 1,400 light years away. Furthermore, gravity on Kepler-452b is twice as strong as that on Earth due to its larger mass. As a result, we would feel as if we weighted twice as much on the surface of Kepler-452b. Days on Kepler-452b would also be much brighter as the star it orbits is 20 percent brighter than the sun and the planet receives 10 percent more energy than the Earth, even though the sun and Kepler-452b’s star are both the same temperature. Lastly, scientists believe that the planet likely has very active volcanoes and oceans, along with a thick cloud cover (Austin, 2015).

In conclusion, astronomers have been very successful with the discovery of Kepler-452b. Through the use of the transit technique at the Kepler Science Centre, the most earth-like planet was discovered. Kepler-452b has countless earth-like characteristics including a G2 star, a habitable zone, rocky surface, and a similar orbit to planet Earth. Amongst the many exoplanets discovered through the transit method, it is rare to come across one that is so similar to planet Earth and provides such potential for life outside of our solar system.