New Planets Discovered by NASA; 100 Planets Similar to Earth

Just outside of our solar system, NASA has discovered more than 100 new Earth-like planets, sparkling new hopes for those interested in extraterrestrial life.

The agency said that its Kepler spacecraft has gathered six weeks of data on more than 156,000 stars, in searching for signs of planets orbiting them.

According to CTV, the data revealed five new solar systems within the Milky Way as well as 700 bodies that could be new planets, among which 140 are considered to be similar to our planet. This finding means that their composition could support the development of simple life forms.

The Kepler space probe was launched in March 2009. Two months later, in May, it reached its position for monitoring space outside the solar system. The spacecraft is on a four-year mission to examine the structure and diversity of planetary systems in the Milky Way, using a telescope including a 95-megapixel camera.

“While an exhaustive study remains to be done, the implication is that many planetary systems have multiple planets,” William Borucki, the mission’s principal investigator, told Mail Online.