Kepler 78b Similar to Earth in Size, Content, but 2,000 Degrees Hotter

Scientists have stumbled upon a planet that shares some similar characteristics to earth.

According to the Washington Post, astrophysicists reported just last week that the astonishingly similar size and content of this new planet is certainly striking and rare.

Let's take a look at some of the similarities. Kepler 78b, what scientists are referring to as this new planet, is located in the Cygnus constellation and approximately 400 light-years away. The planet appears to be made of rock and iron, just like our friend earth.

However, when measuring this new planet's mass, researchers found that it's actually a little bigger than earth and close to double the mass of humans' home.

With its current constellation, scientists point out that it orbits its sun every 8.5 hours--a complete mystery to astronomers as no planets have been found to so to a star.

NASA's Kepler Space Telescope first discovered Kepler-78b when scientists were hoping to discover planets that may sustain life.

Unfortunately, with Kepler-78b, a major problem seems to be that its rocky world is a bit too close to the sun. More scientifically speaking, it's at least 2,000 degrees hotter than life on earth, and thus, no forms of life would be found there.

Still, much of this discovery remains a mystery to scientists. 

"This planet is a complete mystery," astronomer David Latham of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (CfA) said in a press release. "We don't know how it formed or how it got to where it is today. What we do know is that it's not going to last forever."  

As the planet orbits so close to its sun, astronomers note that in a few billion years, it will be sucked up.

And though this planet may not be sustainable for life, its findings have prompted other scientists in search of Earth-like planets with similar measurements and orbiting patterns. Currently, Kepler-78b is one of more than 1,000 exoplanets that have been confirmed so far.

More information regarding the findings can be seen via the journal Nature.