Newly Discovered Planet May Harbor Life

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CAPE CANAVERAL (CBSMiami/AP) — A recently discovery planet in a in a solar system that is 1,400 light years from our own may harbor life.

The researchers announced their discovery Thursday based on observations from NASA's Kepler space telescope.

This older, bigger cousin to Earth is called Kepler-452b. What makes this planet remarkable is that it orbits its star at about the same distance that Earth orbits the sun. What's more, its home star looks to be similar to our sun.

Scientists say it's the closest thing we have to another Earth-sun twin system.

One unanswered question is whether the planet is rocky. Scientists say there's a better than even chance it is.

(TM and © Copyright 2015 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2015 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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