Stellary Starry Universe

NASA will host a news briefing at 11 a.m. PDT, Thursday, Sept. 15, to announce a new discovery by the Kepler mission.

NASA’s Kepler spacecraft has discovered the first confirmed planetary system with more than one planet crossing in front of, or transiting, the same star.

NASA's Kepler spacecraft has discovered two Saturn-sized planets transiting the same sun-like star. The same system might contain a third world–a hot "super-Earth" one and a half times the size of Earth–but this is not yet confirmed. Researchers announced the results today at a NASA press conference.

NASA’s Kepler Mission has released 43 days of science data on more than 156,000 stars.

 

In a night launch of stunning beauty, NASA’s Kepler spacecraft lifted off from Cape Canaveral on Friday night, March 6th, on a mission to find Earth-like planets circling other stars.

March 6, 2009: NASA’s Kepler mission successfully launched into space from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., aboard a United Launch Alliance Delta II at 10:49 p.m. EST, Friday. Kepler is designed to find the first Earth-size planets orbiting stars at distances where water could pool on the planet’s surface. Liquid water is believed to be essential for the formation of life.

“It was a stunning launch,” said Kepler Project Manager James Fanson of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif. “Our team is thrilled to be a part of something so meaningful to the human race — Kepler will help us understand if our Earth is unique or if others like it are out there.” [...]

Source: Nasa Science – click here for full article