kepler-22b

A look back at NASA's planet-pinpointing space 'scope

NASA announced this week that a key piece of gear on its Kepler space telescope has run into trouble. And though the space agency hasn't given up on a jump-start, the mission may well be at risk.

It's already gone well beyond its planned duration, however, and presented us with many fascinating discoveries.

In this gallery, we take a look back at that mission -- at Kepler's intriguing quest to find Earth-like, life-friendly planets among the Milky Way's many stars.

Kepler 22-b a top target in restarted SETI alien search

The search for aliens is back on--and newly confirmed Earthy-ish planet Kepler 22-b is among the top targets.

SETI's Allen Telescope Array (ATA) is once again searching for extra-terrestrial life after spending several months in hibernation. The University of California cut funding to the program due to budget constraints, and last April the ATA ceased its obsessive habit of intense inter-galactic eavesdropping. The array "listens" across a broad range of frequencies for any radio transmissions from, well, somewhere else.

The SETI Institute says the restart of the search is thanks to funding raised via the Web--the SETIStars program has raised more than $200,000 in online donations--as well as additional funds from the U.S. Air Force.

The announcement comes as NASA also announced this week that its Kepler mission had confirmed the first Earth-like planet in a habitable zone where liquid water and life might exist. The planet, dubbed Kepler 22-b, is 600 light years away and roughly 2.5 times the size of Earth. Scientists believe surface temperatures to be comfortably around 70 degrees (Fahrenheit). … Read more

The sad self-obsession surrounding NASA's Kepler-22b discovery

Here we are, burning up our planet until it is a wasteland fit only for Denzel Washington.

Yet the minute we discover that there might exist another place out there whose average temperature is 72 degrees, we get all excited that it's "another Earth."

We don't even say "another San Diego," which seems more approximate to that average temperature than, say, New Jersey. No, we're excited because there might be more people like us out there. Or, perhaps, because there might be somewhere to which we can escape when we finally blow up … Read more

Kepler 22-b: NASA confirms another Earth?

NASA has found a planet outside our solar system that looks to be an awful lot like Earth--or maybe even better, given that its climate is roughly like a balmy day in Key West.

The planet, Kepler-22b, is the first confirmed planet within the "habitable zone," meaning that liquid water could exist on the surface and support life. It is almost 2.5 times the size of Earth and 600 light years away, so you may want to start saving your frequent flier miles now if you want your great-to-the-29th-power grandchildren to have a shot at vacationing there.

Scientists estimate the temperature on the surface of the planet to be about 72 degrees, according to the Associated Press. Kepler-22b circles a star very similar to our own sun, although it does it in a slightly shorter period, with one Kepler 22-b year lasting about 290 days.

Scientists say it's likely the planet has water and land, but can't yet rule out the possibility that it is an entirely gaseous planet, which would severely limit its potential as an intergalactic vacation destination.… Read more