Kepler's New Discoveries (July 23)

"NASA has announced the discovery of a new planet outside our solar system that it describes as the 'closest twin to Earth' found to date. Kepler 452-b is about 60 per cent larger than Earth, making it likely to be rocky, and orbits a star similar to our sun at a distance similar to the distance between the Earth and the sun." (Source: CBC News)

Here’s our available expert to comment on this issue:

"This 'close cousin' to the Earth-Sun system is an exciting, if not shocking discovery. It suggests that Earth-like planets around Sunlike-stars should be common, just as Star Trek fans (like me) have hoped all along."
-Kelly Lepo

Expert: Kelly Lepo, Coordinator, McGill Space Institute
Expertise: She obtained a PhD in Astronomy and Astrophysics from the University of Toronto in 2015. She’s involved in science outreach on astronomy.
Contact: kelly.lepo [at] mcgill.ca. (514) 398-4471. Mrs Lepo answers questions in English.