Question

The Kepler

The Kepler spacecraft was designed to investigate humanity's last unexplored frontier: the far reaches of space. The NASA space telescope looks deep into the Milky Way galaxy for signs of habitable planets where humans could potentially thrive. In the thousands of planets, it has identified, three are in livable orbits similar to Earth. The planet most similar to Earth is Kepler 186f, known as "Earth's cousin." Over 490 light years away, all that NASA knows is that Kepler 186f's size and distance from its star are comparable to Earth. As technology advances, hopefully we will learn more about Kepler 186f's ability to nurture life. Perhaps someday our descendants will cross the insurmountable distance to explore the surface of Earth's cousin, maybe even contact with life on another world.

Which of the following best describes the main idea of the second paragraph?
a. Scientists know many facts about the planet Kepler-186f
b. Conditions on Kepler-186f will allow humans to thrive
c. From what scientists have learned so far, Kepler 186f is the planet most similar to Earth
d. The Kepler space telescope's main mission is to explore the Milky Way

Answer 1

The second paragraph primarily conveys that Kepler 186f is considered Earth's cousin due to its Earth-like properties and potential to support life, although much remains to be discovered.

Step-by-step explanation:

The main idea of the second paragraph is that Kepler 186f is the planet most similar to Earth that NASA's Kepler spacecraft has identified. Kepler 186f, which is over 490 light years away, has a size and orbit around its star that are comparable to Earth's. The paragraph suggests that with technological advancements, scientists hope to learn more about Kepler 186f's potential to support life. It also hints at the possibility that in the distant future, humans may explore this planet, which is referred to as "Earth's cousin."