Astronomers have found a nearby solar system with seven Earth-sized planets, three of which are likely to have liquid surface water, raising the prospect of life, NASA announced on Wednesday.
This sent space enthusiasts around the world jumping with curiosity. On Thursday, Google was quick to pat NASA’s back for their achievement with an adorable Doodle. It shows an animated earth looking through a telescope in search of the seven earth-like exoplanets.
Seven (!) earth-sized planets? Now that's some star power. #GoogleDoodle https://t.co/UrCwI98oFy pic.twitter.com/zozjFYadOx
— Google (@Google) February 23, 2017
Also Read: NASA Finds Seven Earth-Size Planets That May Be Habitable
The star around which these planets orbit, known as TRAPPIST-1, is a small, dim celestial body in the constellation Aquarius.
It is located about 40 light years away from Earth. Researchers said the proximity of the system, combined with the proportionally large size of its planets compared to the small star, makes it a good target for follow-up studies.
They hope to scan the planets' atmospheres for possible chemical fingerprints of life.