Nasa and Google uncover solar system similar to our own
Scientists have used artificial intelligence to discover an eighth planet circling a distant star

Nasa has announced that its Kepler space telescope has found an alien solar system with as many planets as our own.
The eight worlds were found to be orbiting a previously identified star called Kepler-90, The Independent reports. The star has similar characteristics to our own sun.
While the star and its family of planets were already “known about”, says the Independent, the breakthrough came when scientists found the eighth and final world.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
According to Alphr, the discovery means the distinct solar system is similar to our own in having the highest number of planets orbiting a single star.
Nasa says the exoplanet, which has been dubbed Kepler-90i, is both “rocky” and “sizzling hot.” It orbits the host star once every 14.4 days.
Andrew Vanderburg, a researcher at Nasa, says: “The Kepler-90 star system is like a mini version of our solar system. You have small planets inside and big planets outside, but everything is scrunched in much closer.”
The exoplanet was discovered using Google’s artificial intelligence (AI) systems, the US space agency says. These were trained by scientists to identify alien planets through data gathered by the Kepler telescope.
Since the Kepler mission launched in 2009, Forbes says the telescope has gathered data on around 150,000 stars.
It’s almost impossible for scientists to manually sift through these findings, the website says, but the process is made possible thanks to Google’s AI programme.
Nasa to announce ‘breakthrough’ discovery
12 December
Nasa will this week reveal a “breakthrough discovery” in its hunt for planets containing life, the space agency has announced.
The discovery has been made using Nasa’s Kepler telescope - a space observatory launched in 2009 to find planets that can support life - and artificial intelligence (AI) systems from Google, The Independent reports.
Little is known about Google’s involvement with Nasa, but according to the International Business Times, the tech giant’s AI may have been used to develop “a new way of analysing data from the Kepler spacecraft”.
Nasa says Google’s AI operates by employing machine learning, a process where the programme teaches itself how to analyse data.
“Google’s machine learning approach to artificial intelligence is considered the world’s pioneering application in the field,” adds the IBS website.
Tech Times says the Kepler telescope has already found “several planets” that could support life.
These planets are located in an area referred to as the Goldilocks Zone, where it is “neither too hot nor too cold to allow liquid water to flow”, the site says.
However, many such planets are too far away for Nasa to launch a satellite or crewed missions to investigate them.
Nasa’s news conference will be live-streamed on its website on 14 December at 6pm GMT.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Scientists invent a solid carbon-negative building material
Under the radar Building CO2 into the buildings
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
Scottish hospitality shines at these 7 hotels
The Week Recommends Sleep well at these lovely inns across Scotland
By Catherine Garcia, The Week US Published
-
Crossword: April 1, 2025
The Week's daily crossword
By The Week Staff Published
-
Test flight of orbital rocket from Europe explodes
Speed Read Isar Aerospace conducted the first test flight of the Spectrum orbital rocket, which crashed after takeoff
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
OpenAI's new model is 'really good' at creative writing
Under the Radar CEO Sam Altman says he is impressed. But is this merely an attempt to sell more subscriptions?
By Theara Coleman, The Week US Published
-
Could artificial superintelligence spell the end of humanity?
Talking Points Growing technology is causing growing concern
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
Space-age living: The race for robot servants
Feature Meta and Apple compete to bring humanoid robots to market
By The Week US Published
-
Musk vs. Altman: The fight over OpenAI
Feature Elon Musk has launched a $97.4 billion takeover bid for OpenAI
By The Week US Published
-
AI freedom vs copyright law: the UK's creative controversy
The Explainer Britain's musicians, artists, and authors protest at proposals to allow AI firms to use their work
By The Week UK Published
-
The AI arms race
Talking Point The fixation on AI-powered economic growth risks drowning out concerns around the technology which have yet to be resolved
By The Week UK Published
-
Paris AI Summit: has Europe already been left behind?
The Explainer EU shift from AI regulation to investment may still leave it trailing in US and China's wake
By Richard Windsor, The Week UK Published