http://www.foxnews.com/science/2015/07/23/nasas-kepler-mission-discovers-earths-older-bigger-cousin/NASA’s Kepler mission discovers Earth’s older, bigger cousin
Published July 23, 2015FoxNews.com
![](http://a57.foxnews.com/global.fncstatic.com/static/managed/876/493/NASAKepler452b.jpg?ve=1&tl=1)
This artist's concept compares Earth (left) to the new planet, called Kepler-452b, which is about 60 percent larger in diameter. (NASA/JPL-Caltech/T. Pyle)
DEVELOPING: NASA’s Kepler mission has discovered the first near-Earth-size planet in the “habitable zone” around a sun-like star, the agency announced Thursday. The newly discovered Kepler-452b is the smallest planet discovered orbiting in the habitable zone, according to NASA.
In a statement, NASA said that the confirmation of Kepler-452b brings the total number of confirmed planets to 1,030.