The Science of Space

If you’ve been on any science-related website in the last 24 hours, you’ve inevitably heard about Kepler-22b, the most earth-like planet we’ve found so far. The planet is 2.4 times the size of earth, so it is considerably bigger, and it also sits closer to its star than we sit to the sun. However, Kepler-22b’s star is much smaller, dimmer, and cooler than the sun, so the temperature on the surface of Kepler-22b is estimated at 72 degrees Fahrenheit. From here, researchers will inevitably try to determine the makeup of the planet, and possibly try to determine the make-up of the atmosphere, which is no small feat since Kepler-22b is 600 light years, or more than  3.5 quadrillion miles, away.