Brian Jackson

Associate Professor of Physics at Boise State University

  • About
  • Research
    • CV
    • Joining the Boise State Planetary Science Research Group
    • Research Experiences for Undergrads
    • Ultra-short-period planet database
    • The Short Period Planets Group — S(u)PerP(i)G
    • Google Scholar Page
    • Code
  • Teaching
  • Press
  • Extracurricular Activities
    • Field Trips
      • Bruneau Sand Dunes – 2022 Jun 29
  • Public Outreach
    • Boise State’s Astronomical Observatory
    • Central Idaho Dark Sky Reserve STEM Network

Kepler-452b: A Super Earth in the Habitable Zone of a Sun-Like Star

Posted by admin on July 30, 2015
Posted in: BSU Journal Club. Tagged: astrobiology, astronomy, close-in exoplanets, Kepler mission.
Artist's conception of Kepler-452 b. From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kepler-452b#/media/File:Kepler-452b_artist_concept.jpg.

Artist’s conception of Kepler-452 b. From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kepler-452b#/media/File:Kepler-452b_artist_concept.jpg.

Exciting discovery reported last week of a planet a little bigger than Earth orbiting a star very like our Sun.

The planet, Kepler-452 b, was discovered by the Kepler mission and has a radius 60% larger than the Earth’s. It receives about 10% more light from its star than we do here on the Earth, and it’s probably about 2 billion years older. Together, these qualities mean it may be the most Earth-like exoplanet found to date (although there are lots of other similar planets).

Unfortunately, the host star is so distant, 1,400 lightyears from Earth*, that the usual method for directly estimating the planet’s mass, radial velocity observations, is not feasible. Instead, the planet’s discoverers constrain the planet’s mass by considering a range of compositions, calculating the radius expected for each of those compositions, and comparing it to the observed radius. Based on this analysis, they estimate at least a 49% probability that the planet is rocky, like the Earth.

Based on the amount of light it receives from its host star, there’s a good chance Kepler-452 b is habitable. This means, given a long-list of assumptions about the planet and its atmosphere, liquid water would be stable on its surface. Thus, Kepler-452 b joins a short but rapidly growing list of planets that might host life.

With our success finding potentially habitable planets, it’s probably only a matter of time (maybe just a few more years) before we find a planet that’s not just habitable but inhabited. Children in school right now might be the first generation to grow up in a universe where they know we’re not alone.

Today’s journal club attendees included Jennifer Briggs, Hari Gopalakrishnan, and Jacob Sabin.

—

*This website is the only reference I can find that gives the distance to Kepler-452 b from Earth. The paper itself doesn’t say 1,400 light years. The exoplanet.eu catalog gives a stellar magnitude V = 13.7 (also not given in the discovery paper). Converting that V magnitude to a flux and then using the stellar parameters given in the paper, I estimate a distance of 2,400 light years.

Posts navigation

← Space Balls Solve a Long-Standing Astronomical Mystery
A Hot Jupiter for Breakfast? →
  • Twitter: decaelus

    Brian Jackson
    • Come join us at @BoiseState for an exoplanets and outreach postdoc - https://t.co/LgQkDfkVJd. Apps due by end of Ap… https://t.co/37IiiVvl6D 08:41:55 2023 Mar 8
    • Records show powerful, wealthy funders outside Idaho back school choice campaign https://t.co/tzrZgyYk4U via @idahocapitalsun 11:03:33 2023 Feb 3
    • Learn how to save the dark (https://t.co/CqYzD5o2Xh at @BroncoPhysics First Friday Astronomy event this Fri (Feb 3… https://t.co/8B3Set3tW0 11:49:28 2023 Jan 30
    @decaelus
  • Recent Posts

    • LPSC 2023
    • Taking the Universe’s Measure
    • Research Group Meeting – 2023 Mar 2
    • Resources for the Jupiter-Venus Conjunction
    • PHYS305 – 2023 Mar 1
  • Archives

    • March 2023
    • February 2023
    • January 2023
    • December 2022
    • November 2022
    • October 2022
    • September 2022
    • August 2022
    • July 2022
    • June 2022
    • May 2022
    • April 2022
    • March 2022
    • February 2022
    • January 2022
    • December 2021
    • November 2021
    • October 2021
    • September 2021
    • August 2021
    • July 2021
    • June 2021
    • May 2021
    • April 2021
    • March 2021
    • February 2021
    • January 2021
    • December 2020
    • November 2020
    • October 2020
    • September 2020
    • August 2020
    • July 2020
    • June 2020
    • May 2020
    • April 2020
    • March 2020
    • February 2020
    • January 2020
    • December 2019
    • November 2019
    • October 2019
    • September 2019
    • August 2019
    • July 2019
    • June 2019
    • May 2019
    • April 2019
    • March 2019
    • February 2019
    • January 2019
    • December 2018
    • November 2018
    • October 2018
    • September 2018
    • August 2018
    • July 2018
    • June 2018
    • May 2018
    • April 2018
    • March 2018
    • February 2018
    • January 2018
    • December 2017
    • November 2017
    • October 2017
    • September 2017
    • August 2017
    • July 2017
    • June 2017
    • May 2017
    • April 2017
    • March 2017
    • February 2017
    • January 2017
    • December 2016
    • November 2016
    • October 2016
    • September 2016
    • August 2016
    • July 2016
    • June 2016
    • May 2016
    • April 2016
    • March 2016
    • February 2016
    • January 2016
    • December 2015
    • November 2015
    • October 2015
    • September 2015
    • August 2015
    • July 2015
    • June 2015
    • May 2015
    • April 2015
    • March 2015
    • February 2015
    • January 2015
    • December 2014
    • November 2014
    • October 2014
    • September 2014
    • August 2014
    • July 2014
    • June 2014
    • May 2014
    • April 2014
    • March 2014
    • February 2014
    • January 2014
    • December 2013
    • November 2013
    • October 2013
    • September 2013
    • August 2013
    • July 2013
Proudly powered by WordPress Theme: Parament by Automattic.