After years of relentless exploration, we have now discovered over 5,000 planets located outside our solar system. These exoplanets vary in size and orbit different types of stars. Among them, one planet named “Kepler-452b” gained significant attention upon its discovery. Why? Because its conditions are remarkably similar to Earth’s, making it a strong candidate for hosting life.

“Kepler-452b” is a “super-Earth” that scientists found in the direction of the Cygnus constellation, approximately 1,800 light-years away from us. In simple terms, a “super-Earth” refers to planets larger than Earth, and observational data confirm that “Kepler-452b” is indeed an Earth-like exoplanet. It has a mass about five times that of Earth and a radius roughly 1.5 times that of Earth, making it a typical “super-Earth.”

“Kepler-452b” orbits a star named “Kepler-452,” which is a G-type main-sequence star similar to our Sun. The star’s mass is only 3.7% greater than that of the Sun, and its radius is only 1.11 times that of the Sun. Its surface temperature is approximately 5,757 K, very close to the Sun’s surface temperature of 5,778 K. Therefore, in terms of its host star, “Kepler-452b” shares very similar conditions with Earth.

Furthermore, “Kepler-452b” has conditions similar to Earth itself. Both are rocky planets and are located within the habitable zone of their respective host stars.

If a planet is too close to its host star, its surface water would evaporate, while being too far would freeze it. Only within a suitable distance range, called the habitable zone, can liquid water exist on the planet’s surface. Based on our understanding of known life forms, liquid water is an essential ingredient for life. Therefore, being within the habitable zone suggests that “Kepler-452b” possesses the fundamental conditions for nurturing life, just like Earth.

In comparison to Earth, “Kepler-452b” is only slightly farther from its host star, with an average distance of about 1.04 astronomical units. This places it within the habitable zone of its host star, making it highly likely to have the basic conditions necessary for life.

The orbital period of “Kepler-452b” is approximately 385 Earth days, which means a year there is equivalent to 385 days on Earth. Due to its suitable distance from the host star, it is not tidally locked, meaning it experiences day and night cycles, much like Earth.

Most importantly, the host star of “Kepler-452b” formed about 6.5 billion years ago, and according to stellar evolution models, “Kepler-452b” has been within the habitable zone for about 6 billion years, starting 500 million years after the star’s formation. In contrast, Earth is about 4.55 billion years old, and based on paleontological research, life on Earth dates back at least 3.77 billion years. This leads us to speculate that life may very well exist on “Kepler-452b,” given its similar conditions and ample time for the emergence and evolution of life.

According to scientists’ estimates, the surface gravity of “Kepler-452b” is approximately twice that of Earth. In the event that life exists there, it may have evolved to adapt to the higher gravity, potentially resulting in smaller or flatter life forms to reduce the impact of gravity.

It’s worth noting that considering “Kepler-452b” has been within the habitable zone for 6 billion years, we cannot rule out the possibility of intelligent civilizations having evolved there. If so, they might have sent radio signals into deep space, similar to our human civilization.

Because of these factors, researchers dedicated to the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) are very interested in “Kepler-452b.” Unfortunately, as of now, there have been no valuable findings from related studies.