Question

launched by nasa in 2009, the kepler space telescope was designed to search for exoplanets (planets outside our solar system). over its mission, kepler discovered more than 2,600 confirmed exoplanets. the data collected by kepler helped astronomers determine the sizes, orbits, and atmospheres of these exoplanets, as well as whether they might be habitable. one of the most important findings was that earth - like planets in habitable zones are much more common than previously thought.
according to the text, what was one of the most important findings from the kepler telescope data?
choose 1 answer:
a that most exoplanets have atmospheres similar to earths
b that habitable earth - like planets are more common than previously believed
c that all exoplanets orbit their stars in the same way as planets in our solar system
d that exoplanets are only found around certain types of stars

Explanation:

The text clearly states "One of the most important findings was that Earth - like planets in habitable zones are much more common than previously thought." Option B directly paraphrases this statement. Option A is incorrect as the text only mentions determining atmospheres, not that most have Earth - like atmospheres. Option C is wrong because there's no mention of all exoplanets orbiting like solar system planets. Option D is not supported by the text which focuses on the commonality of Earth - like planets in habitable zones, not the types of stars they orbit.

Answer:

B. That habitable Earth - like planets are more common than previously believed