Astronomers Uncover Earth-Like Planet That Could Support Life
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Astronomers have discovered a distant planet that appears to have an atmosphere similar to Earth, the possibility of water at its surface and the theoretical potential to support life.
It is the first validated planet found in the “habitable zone,” defined by the distance from a star that might allow for the existence of liquid water. The planet is orbiting Kepler-186, a dwarf star that’s cooler than Earth’s sun and burns hydrogen, according to a report in the journal Science. Life is most likely to arise on planets with liquid water.