Astronomy Picture of the Day

    Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our
      fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation
                    written by a professional astronomer.

                                2020 April 28

                       The Kepler-90 Planetary System
                Illustration Credit: NASA Ames, Wendy Stenzel

   Explanation: Do other stars have planetary systems like our own? Yes --
   one such system is Kepler-90. Cataloged by the Kepler satellite that
   operated from Earth orbit between 2009 and 2018, eight planets were
   discovered, giving Kepler-90 the same number of known planets as our
   Solar System. Similarities between Kepler-90 and our system include a
   G-type star comparable to our Sun, rocky planets comparable to our
   Earth, and large planets comparable in size to Jupiter and Saturn.
   Differences include that all of the known Kepler-90 planets orbit
   relatively close in -- closer than Earth's orbit around the Sun --
   making them possibly too hot to harbor life. However, observations over
   longer time periods may discover cooler planets further out. Kepler-90
   lies about 2,500 light years away, and at magnitude 14 is visible with
   a medium-sized telescope toward the constellation of the Dragon
   (Draco). The exoplanet-finding mission TESS was launched in 2018, while
   missions with exoplanet finding capability planned for launch in the
   next decade include NASA's JWST and WFIRST.

   Experts Debate: How will humanity first discover extraterrestrial life?
                       Tomorrow's picture: open space
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       Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)
            NASA Official: Phillip Newman Specific rights apply.
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                             & Michigan Tech. U.

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