Kepler Space Telescope Essay
Exoplanets are planets that orbit a star outside of our own solar system. However,
over the past two decades, thousands of exoplanets have been discovered (Howell,
2015). NASA s Kepler space telescope, in particular, is responsible for most of
these discoveries. Since its launch in March 2009, the Kepler space telescope has
discovered over a thousand alien planets more than half of all known exoplanets to
date (Wall, 2015, para. 1). According to the Planetary Society (n.d.), planets only
possess, a fraction of the mass of a star, and as a result the nuclear fusion reaction
that makes stars burn does not take place ( Exoplanets , para. 1). Without the burn ,
these planets are essentially very dark and small compared to stars, which in itself
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However, NASA s Kepler space telescope is capable of detecting a planet sized object
orbiting a star, from dozens of lightyears away ( Search for Exoplanets , n.d., para.
2).The discoveries made with the Kepler space telescope reveal that most of these
solar systems resemble our own ( Extrasolar Planets , para. 2). In fact, the Kepler
space telescope has had recent success in discovering Kepler 186f, an Earth sized
planet orbiting a star (2015, para. 1). On April 17, 2014, the discovery of Kepler
186f (also known as Earth s cousin ) reveals that the planet orbits a star within the
habitable zone . According to NASA (2015), a habitable zone refers to, the range of
distance from a star where liquid water might pool on the surface of an orbiting
planet (para. 1). Bolmont et al. discuss that the extent of this habitable zone naturally
depends on the atmospheric conditions, geological activity, and the dynamical
environment of the planetary system ( Formation , 2014, para. 5). Given the former,
if Kepler 186f has an Earth like atmosphere and some liquid water at its surface, and
is of a suitable climate in comparison to Earth, then the planet is likely a habitable
environment (Quintana et al., 2014,