Astronomers discover a new 'Super Earth' proving the Kepler spacecraft still has the right stuff despite malfunction

The Kepler planet hunting probe has detected another Earth-like planet 180 light-years from the Sun. The planet is massive and hot and uninhabitable, but it demonstrates once again that scientists have the ability to detect these new worlds with increasing accuracy.

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - NASA scientists have excitedly announced the discovery of a new "super-earth" 180 light years away, orbiting a star in the constellation Pisces. The discovery proves they can still find planets with the Kepler spacecraft, despite a malfunction with the satellite's pointing system.

A reaction wheel which keeps the telescope pointed at a single patch of sky broke down in 2013, nearly destroying the telescope's functionality. However, scientists calculated a way to use the solar panels like sails, and to adjust using the pressure of sunlight itself. Those adjustments allow scientists to point the spacecraft for short, but significant stretches of time at small patches of stars.

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When a planet passes in front of a star, the Kepler telescope detects the dimming of the star's light, much like a person passing in front of a light at a distance would cause that light to dim or wink out. Based on how much dimming occurs, astronomers can calculate the size of the planet. They can also examine the starlight to determine the planet's mass and other attributes.

In this case, the new planet is 12 times the size of Earth, and orbits at just a fraction of the distance between the Earth and the Sun. That means it has a lot more gravity - enough to crush you, and it a lot hotter - enough to melt you.

While humans won't be visiting the hot, super-earth anytime soon, the discovery is still exciting. It proves that the Kepler mission isn't over and it can still find more planets.

As these planets are found and cataloged, those that appear capable of hosting life will be studied closely by a new generation of space telescopes that will be deployed in the next several years. These new telescopes will be able to see the atmospheres of these planets and search for chemical traces of life in the atmosphere.

Using this new technology, it is believed we will discover life on other planets within the next two decades, assuming such life exists.

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