The star EPIC 201367065 is about 150 light years away and half the size and mass of our sun. The star is an M-dwarf, also known as a red dwarf. These are the most common star-types in our galaxy making up about 70% of all stars but are too dim to be seen with the naked eye.

On January 6. while studying Kelpler data made available by NASA, UC Berkeley graduate student Erik Petigura found three planets orbiting the dim star. After finding the light curves which indicated the presence of the planets telescopes located in California, Hawaii and Chile were used to characterize the star’s age, radius, temperature and mass.

The three planets located around EPIC 201367065 are 1.5, 1.7 and 2.1 the size of the Earth. The smallest and outermost of the planets is 1.5 times the size of earth and receives levels of light from its star comparable to the levels we see on Earth. To be exact it receives 1.4 times the light intensity Earth does, while the other planets receive 10.5 and 3.2 times the light intensity.

Additionally, the outermost planet is located in the “Goldilocks” zone of its solar system which means that it could have surface temperatures moderate enough for liquid water and perhaps life.

“A thin atmosphere made of nitrogen and oxygen has allowed life to thrive on Earth. But nature is full of surprises. Many exoplanets discovered by the Kepler mission are enveloped by thick, hydrogen-rich atmospheres that are probably incompatible with life as we know it,” said Ian Crossfield, the University of Arizona astronomer in a statement. Crossfield led the study following the initial discovery.

EPIC 201367065 is now considered one of the 10 closest stars to Earth known to have planets and has, perhaps, the best chance of possessing a life-supporting planet.

“Most planets we have found to date are scorched. This system is the closest star with lukewarm transiting planets. There is a very real possibility that the outermost planet is rocky like Earth, which means this planet could have the right temperature to support liquid water oceans,” said Petigura.

A paper describing the discovery and the research that followed is available on the arXiv website and has been submitted to Astrophysical Journal.

The researchers next step will be gathering additional information with other telescopes, including the Hubble Space Telescope. This research will provide the spectroscopic fingerprint of the exoplanets atmospheres. This data will tell researchers more about the composition of the planets and their odds of hosting life.

The Kepler telescope was given a second chance at life in 2014. The spacecraft had lost one of its stabilizing wheels and it was feared that researchers would no longer be able to aim it at targets. However, by locking the telescope into the plane of Earth’s orbit it was stabilized and can now search for planets again, even if cannot be aimed as it once was.

Only those stars which orbit edge-on to the view from Earth can be studied. Planets with orbital-tilts are missed. Even with limited mobility however the second phase of Keplers mission, known as K2, puts it back in the planet hunting game.

“This discovery proves that K2, despite being somewhat compromised, can still find exciting and scientifically compelling planets. This ingenious new use of Kepler is a testament to the ingenuity of the scientists and engineers at NASA. This discovery shows that Kepler can still do great science,” said Petigura.

The hunt for exoplanets will be accelerated when the, far more advanced, James Webb Space Telescope and the European Extremely Large Telescope come online.