NASA’s retired Kepler Space Telescope keeps shedding light on the world of science by unveiling a planetary system consisting of seven planets.
Kepler Space Telescope Defies Retirement to Make Startling Discoveries! Kepler continues to astound the scientific community, demonstrating its resilience even after reaching the end of its official mission. Astronomers delved into the data gathered from NASA’s decommissioned Kepler Space Telescope and made a groundbreaking discovery. This new planetary system, known as Kepler-385, was identified. Here are the details:
Kepler Space Telescope’s Unexpected Revelation Kepler Space Telescope is refusing to fade into obscurity. Despite its mission officially concluding, it persists in revealing remarkable celestial findings. Astronomers scrutinizing its data have unveiled an entirely new planetary system featuring seven exoplanets, categorized as hot planets. While these planets are larger than Earth, they are smaller than Neptune. This discovery alludes to the existence of several confirmed planets or planet candidates, exceeding a total of six within the system.
The revelation of Kepler-385 is incredibly exhilarating. This new discovery underscores the fact that the retired Kepler Space Telescope continues to be a beacon of hope in the realm of space exploration. It also signifies the potential to unlock new possibilities by revisiting older data.
At the core of the recently uncovered Kepler-385 system, there lies a Sun-like star, boasting dimensions about 10% larger and radiating 5% more heat than our Sun. Within the Kepler-385 system, two inner planets surpass Earth in size, and scientists have ascertained that both are rocky in nature.
NASA anticipates that both inner planets will be cloaked by thick atmospheres. The capability to define the properties of the planets within the Kepler-385 system serves as a testament to the enduring quality of the retired telescope. The revelation of this system was only made possible due to the accurate data compiled in Kepler’s final catalogs.
The discovery of Kepler-385 also sheds light on the orbital dynamics of planetary systems. It demonstrates that when more than two planets orbit a star, they tend to follow circular orbits similar to our own solar system. In fact, Kepler’s primary observations officially concluded in 2013. Subsequently, NASA continued to explore the cosmos through an extended mission known as K2, which concluded in 2018. Today, the data collected by Kepler continues to unravel further insights about our universe.
