© 2026 ABC News

\"It’s awe-inspiring to consider that this planet has spent 6 billion years in the habitable zone of its star; longer than Earth,\" said Jon Jenkins, Kepler's data analysis lead. \"That’s substantial opportunity for life to arise, should all the necessary ingredients and conditions for life exist on this planet.\"

While the planet's mass and composition are still unknown, scientists have determined the planet is 60 percent larger in diameter than Earth and has a slightly longer orbit around its star -- clocking in at 385 days.

Kepler began its quest to find Earth-like planets in 2009. Today's announcements comes as NASA completed an initial analysis of data from the telescope, which has discovered more than 4,600 planets and planet candidates.

","canonicalUrl":"https://abcnews.com/Technology/nasas-kepler-mission-discovers-earths-bigger-older-cousin/story?id=32640152","legacySlug":"/news/story/nasas-kepler-mission-discovers-earths-bigger-older-cousin-32640152","noIndexNoFollow":false},"publishTime":"17:07","publishDate":"07-23-2015","updatedTime":"10:34","updatedDate":"07-24-2015","socialImage":{"alt":"Scientists using data from NASA's Kepler mission have confirmed the first near-Earth-size planet orbiting in the habitable zone of a sun-like star. The artistic concept compares Earth (left) to the new planet, called Kepler-452b, which is about 60 percent larger. ","credit":"NASA/Ames/JPL-Caltech/T. Pyle","ratio":"16x9","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/Technology/HT_nasa_earth_kepler_452b_jt_150723_16x9_1600.jpg","width":992,"height":558},"datePublished":"7/23/2015 17:07:00 GMT","video":{"live":false,"id":32640152,"headline":"NASA's Kepler Mission Discovers Earth's Bigger, Older Cousin","mediaAssetTitle":"NEWCOMB_NASA_Kepler_150723","description":"The Kepler probe's focus is on finding another habitable planet.","duration":"1:16","posterImg":{"url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/default-img-undefined.png","width":608,"height":342},"video":{"feed":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2015/07/150723_wn_muir_657_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8"},"playlist":["136712647","136644484","136522197"]},"relatedItems":[{"contentType":"video","date":"September 24, 2026","headline":"Tracking the Nor'easter impacting the East Coast ","section":"News","slug":"/video/136712647","id":"136712647","image":{"alt":"VIDEO: Tracking the Nor'easter impacting the East Coast and hurricane heading for Hawaii","credit":"ABCNews.com","ratio":"1x1","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260924_gma_zee_storm1_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","width":384,"height":384},"images":{"alt":"VIDEO: Tracking the Nor'easter impacting the East Coast and hurricane heading for Hawaii","credit":"ABCNews.com","crops":[{"16x9":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260924_gma_zee_storm1_hpMain_16x9_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260924_gma_zee_storm1_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260924_gma_zee_storm1_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"9x16":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260924_gma_zee_storm1_hpMain_9x16_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260924_gma_zee_storm1_hpMain_9x16_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260924_gma_zee_storm1_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"1x1":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260924_gma_zee_storm1_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260924_gma_zee_storm1_hpMain_1x1_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260924_gma_zee_storm1_hpMain_1x1_1600.jpg"}}]}},{"contentType":"video","date":"September 22, 2026","headline":"Attorney for man shot in ICE confrontation speaks out","section":"News","slug":"/video/136644484","id":"136644484","image":{"alt":"VIDEO: Attorney for man shot in ICE confrontation speaks out","credit":"ABCNews.com","ratio":"1x1","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260922_gma_thomas_ice1_710_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","width":384,"height":384},"images":{"alt":"VIDEO: Attorney for man shot in ICE confrontation speaks out","credit":"ABCNews.com","crops":[{"16x9":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260922_gma_thomas_ice1_710_hpMain_16x9_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260922_gma_thomas_ice1_710_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260922_gma_thomas_ice1_710_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"9x16":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260922_gma_thomas_ice1_710_hpMain_9x16_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260922_gma_thomas_ice1_710_hpMain_9x16_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260922_gma_thomas_ice1_710_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"1x1":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260922_gma_thomas_ice1_710_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260922_gma_thomas_ice1_710_hpMain_1x1_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260922_gma_thomas_ice1_710_hpMain_1x1_1600.jpg"}}]}},{"contentType":"video","date":"September 17, 2026","headline":"Travis Kelce victimized by Ponzi scheme, prosecutor says","section":"News","slug":"/video/136522197","id":"136522197","image":{"alt":"VIDEO: Travis Kelce victimized by Ponzi scheme, prosecutor says","credit":"ABCNews.com","ratio":"1x1","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260917_gma_katersky1_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","width":384,"height":384},"images":{"alt":"VIDEO: Travis Kelce victimized by Ponzi scheme, prosecutor says","credit":"ABCNews.com","crops":[{"16x9":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260917_gma_katersky1_hpMain_16x9_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260917_gma_katersky1_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260917_gma_katersky1_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"9x16":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260917_gma_katersky1_hpMain_9x16_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260917_gma_katersky1_hpMain_9x16_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260917_gma_katersky1_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"1x1":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260917_gma_katersky1_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260917_gma_katersky1_hpMain_1x1_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260917_gma_katersky1_hpMain_1x1_1600.jpg"}}]}}],"relatedContentSection":"news","schemaContent":{"name":"NASA's Kepler Mission Discovers Earth's Bigger, Older Cousin","description":"The Kepler probe's focus is on finding another habitable planet.","duration":"1:16","uploadDate":"07-23-2015","publication":"07-23-2015","images":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/default-img-undefined.png","url":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2015/07/150723_wn_muir_657_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8","contentUrl":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2015/07/150723_wn_muir_657_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8","link":"https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/news/story/nasas-kepler-mission-discovers-earths-bigger-older-cousin-32640152"}},"playlist":[{"id":"136766868","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"136694294","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"136682772","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"136631130","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"136644492","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"136623234","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"136614308","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"136605272","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"136553132","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"136553226","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"136557362","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"136480407","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"136499152","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"136340119","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"136351654","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"136345786","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"136309285","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"136312798","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"136301180","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"136298965","contentType":"story","section":"news"}],"kvps":{"pgtyp":"article","lang":"en","sp":"goodmorningamerica","programmatic":"true","bundleId":"com.abcnews"}},"analytics":{"accountID":"wdgnewwdgnewgmaweb","ns":"gma","pageName":"gma:news:video","pageType":"video","globalSpecVersion":"v1.08","siteDifferentiator":"gma:site","tagID":"g_page01","userABCookie":"0","section":"news","title":"NASA's Kepler Mission Discovers Earth's Bigger, Older Cousin","pubTime":"13:07","pubDate":"07-23-2015","modTime":"06:34","modDate":"07-24-2015","taxonomyTags":"none","id":32640152,"editorialOtherSubjects":"","wordCount":"none","columns":"none","authors":"","authorsUnit":"none","authorsBureau":"none","subBrand":"Good Morning America","provider":"Good Morning America","videoName":"NASA's Kepler Mission Discovers Earth's Bigger, Older Cousin","mediaAssetTitle":"NEWCOMB_NASA_Kepler_150723","videoId":32640152,"mediaOnPage":"video","legacySlug":"/news/story/nasas-kepler-mission-discovers-earths-bigger-older-cousin-32640152"},"taboola":{}},"request":{"headers":{},"httpVersion":"1.1","method":"GET","url":"/video/32640152","vary":{"host":"www.goodmorningamerica.com","cached":true,"path":"/video/32640152","forwarded-proto":"https","device":"desktop","userab":"0"}},"viewport":{"width":1260,"height":0},"user":{}};