Kepler442

Kepler-442 is an orange dwarf star located approximately 1,200 light-years away in the constellation Lyra. It is similar in size and temperature to our Sun, though slightly smaller and cooler. The star is known for hosting Kepler-442b, an exoplanet that orbits within its habitable zone. This planet is considered a candidate for being a terrestrial, or rocky, world and is one of the most Earth-like exoplanets discovered to date in terms of size and estimated surface temperature. The Kepler Space Telescope discovered both the star and its planet. The habitable zone is the region around a star where temperatures are just right for liquid water to exist on a planet's surface, a key ingredient for life as we know it. Further observations and research are needed to determine the atmospheric composition and actual surface conditions of Kepler-442b. The discovery of Kepler-442 and its promising exoplanet contributes to the ongoing scientific effort to find other worlds that might harbor life.