INTO THE INTERSTELLAR- KEPLER 452b

Perhaps it is a result of its rather uninspiring name that Kepler 452b - the new Earth-like planet that was revealed by NASA this week - has become known as Earth 2.0 but those looking to upgrade to a new-and-improved mark two world may be waiting a long time.

Artist's Impression of EARTH 2.0.

Let's bring you back to reality.

• Kepler 452b is 1400 light years away from Earth. This means those that left on a yet - to - be invented interstellar ship capable of reaching the speed of light would not arrive until around 3415 A.D. Simply it would take 1400 years to get there if we traveled at the speed of light.

• Kepler 452b is a staggering ten thousand million million km from Earth.

• The fastest shuttle currently operating in space can travel at 38000 miles/hr and hence if it set a straight course to Kepler 452b or Earth 2.0 it would take 24 million years to reach there.

According to Brendan Owens, astronomer at the Royal Observatory Greenwich, the very thought of relocating there is absurd. But the planet has it's own advantages and can help us understand our universe better. Kepler 452b is Six Billion years old and 1.4 billion years older than our own planet. As a result it can tell us a lot about how Earth will perform in the future.

It has or likely to have stronger gravity than our own, and to be rocky, with active volcanoes'.  

Owens suggests that the best way or best bet with the 1000 or so planets that NASA has found is transmitting a message rather than landing a shuttle. But then, there are distinct challenges. Various experiments are underway to transmit a message to the different galaxies. Even if the message was transmitted at the speed of light, it would take 1400 years until communication is established between Earth and Earth 2.0.

Reminds me of the Bollywood movie, KOI MIL GAYA, which was about establishing a communication between planets.