Several days back, scientists announced the discovery of a planet in the habitable zone called Kepler-22b. It is located about 600 light-years away, orbiting a sun-like star. If the greenhouse effect operates there similarly to how it does on Earth, the average surface temperature on Kepler-22b would be 72 degrees Fahrenheit (22 degrees Celsius).
This is only the beginning, considering the Kepler spacecraft has already detected more than 1,000 exoplanets. The far more interesting discovery will be the determination of the planet's chemical make-up.
There is new software being creating to assist with the rendering of exoplanets, but in the meantime here's an artist's rendition of what the planet may look like.
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| Artist's Rendition of Kepler-22b |
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