Astronomers have discovered a planet that they say is like Earth like no other known to science.
The planet, called "Kepler-186f", is located in the so-called "habitable zone" - at such a distance from the star, where there are favorable conditions for the emergence of life.
It is neither too cold nor too hot there, and scientists believe that liquid water can be on the planet's surface - this is a key condition for the development of living organisms. The star the planet revolves around is about 500 light-years from Earth.
The star itself is slightly smaller and colder than the Sun, while the planet, on the contrary, is slightly larger than the Earth - about one tenth. Kepler-186f's dimensions suggest it is a rocky planet.
In recent years, several important discoveries have been made in the study of planets outside the solar system. The first planet was discovered 20 years ago, and to date, almost two thousand have already been discovered with the help of the Kepler telescope.
However, the planet, which is exactly the same size as the Earth, orbits a star similar to the Sun, no one has ever seen at the same distance.
The European Space Agency recently approved the development of the Plato orbiting telescope, which will be tuned specifically to identify Earth's true counterparts.