Kepler-62

NASA's Kepler mission discovered five planets orbiting Kepler-62, announced in 2013. The system includes planets ranging from inner rocky worlds to outer planets that may have volatile-rich compositions. The star is located in the constellation Lyra.

Kepler-62e and Kepler-62f were identified as orbiting within the star's habitable zone, where liquid water could potentially exist on their surfaces. Both are classified as super-Earths, meaning they are larger than Earth but smaller than Neptune. Their exact compositions remain unknown.

Kepler-62 is a K-type main-sequence star, meaning it is cooler and smaller than the Sun but still capable of hosting potentially habitable planets. K-type stars are considered favorable targets in the search for life because they have longer, more stable lifetimes than Sun-like stars. The star is approximately 1,200 light-years away.

The five planets were discovered using NASA's Kepler space telescope, which detects planets by monitoring the tiny dips in starlight caused when a planet transits in front of its host star. Kepler-62's planets were among the most significant findings announced during the mission's prime operational phase. The discovery was published in 2013.