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By Alicia Chang The Associated Press LOS ANGELES » Astronomers have discovered what they say is the most Earth-like planet yet de- tected — a distant, rocky world that's similar in size to our own and exists in the Goldilocks zone where it's not too hot and not too cold for life. The find, announced Thursday, excited planet hunters who have been scouring the Milky Way gal - axy for years for potentially habit- able places outside our solar sys- tem. "This is the best case for a hab- itable planet yet found. The re- sults are absolutely rock solid," UC Berkeley astronomer Geoff Marcy, who had no role in the discovery, said in an email. The planet was detected by NA - SA's orbiting Kepler telescope, which studies the heavens for sub- tle changes in brightness that in- dicate an orbiting planet is cross- ing in front of a star. From those changes, scientists can calculate a planet's size and make certain in- ferences about its makeup. The newfound object, dubbed Kepler-186f, circles a red dwarf star 500 light-years from Earth in the constellation Cygnus. A light- year is almost 6 trillion miles. The planet is about 10 percent larger than Earth and may very well have liquid water — a key ingredient for life — on its sur - face, scientists said. That is be- cause it resides at the outer edge of the habitable temperature zone around its star — the sweet spot where lakes, rivers or oceans can exist without freezing solid or boil - ing away. 'Special' find The find "is special because we already know that a planet of this size and in the habitable zone is capable of supporting life as we know it," lead researcher Elisa Quintana of NASA's Ames Research Center said at a news conference. The discovery was detailed in Friday's issue of the journal Sci - ence. It was based on observations that were made before the Kepler telescope was crippled by a me- chanical failure last year. The planet probably basks in an orange-red glow from its star and is most likely cooler than Earth, with an average tempera- ture slightly above freezing, "sim- ilar to dawn or dusk on a spring day," Marcy said. Quintana said she considers the planet to be more of an "Earth cousin" than a twin because it cir - cles a star that is smaller and dim- mer than our sun. While Earth re- volves around the sun in 365 days, this planet completes an orbit of its star every 130 days. Plenty of C02 Scientists cannot say for certain whether it has an atmosphere, but if it does, it probably contains a lot of carbon dioxide, outside experts said. "Don't take off your breathing mask if you ever land there," said Lisa Kaltenegger, a Harvard and Max Planck Institute astronomer who had no connection to the re - search. Despite the differences, "now we can point to a star and know that there really is a planet very similar to the Earth, at least in size and temperature," Harvard scientist David Charbonneau, who was not part of the team, said in an email. If the planet is habitable, photo - synthesis may be possible, said as- tronomer Victoria Meadows of the University of Washington, Seattle. "There are Earth plants that would be quite happy with that," she said. Since its launch in 2009, Kepler has confirmed 961 planets, but only a few dozen are in the hab - itable zone. Most are giant gas balls like Jupiter and Saturn, and not ideal places for life. Scientists in recent years have also found planets slightly larger than Earth in the Goldilocks zone called "su - per Earths," but it is unclear if they are rocky. Right on size The latest discovery is the clos- est in size to Earth than any other known world in the habitable re- gion. Astronomers may never know for certain whether Kepler-186f can sustain life. The planet is too far away even for next-gen - eration space telescopes like NA- SA's James Webb, set for launch in 2018, to study it in detail. NASA has not yet decided whether to keep using the crip - pled Kepler telescope on a scaled- back basis. While the instrument may never detect another planet, scientists have a backlog of obser - vations to wade through. KEpLEr-186f Astronomers spot most Earth-like planet yet 'Cousin' about 500 light-years away in Cygnus constellation NASA This artist's rendering shows an Earth-sized planet dubbed Kepler-186f orbiting a star 500 light-years from Earth. Astronomers say the planet may hold water on its surface and is the best candidate yet of a habitable planet in the ongoing search for an Earth twin. News feed OVErLAND pArK, KAN. » All Americans stand with the mourners of three killed at Jewish community sites here, Attorney General Eric Holder said Thursday, adding that hate crimes are "an affront" to the nation. Holder joined Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback and several religious and political lead - ers at an interfaith memorial at the Jewish Community Center, the site of one of two shootings that stunned the city on the eve of Passover. Avowed white suprem - acist Frazier Glenn Cross, 73, is charged with killing Dr. William Lewis Corporon and his grandson, Reat Grif - fin Underwood, outside the Jewish Community Center of Greater Kansas City. Cross also is accused of killing Terri LaManno at a nearby Jewish retirement complex. KANSAS ShOOtiNGS Holder: Hate crimes 'an affront to who we are' WAShiNGtON » Call it the year of the baby: Chelsea Clinton and her husband, Marc Mezvinsky, are expect - ing their first child later this year. The 34-year-old daugh- ter of former President Bill Clinton and ex-Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clin- ton made the announce- ment Thursday at the end of a Clinton Foundation event in New York on empower- ing girls. Joined on stage by her mother, Chelsea Clinton said she feels "all the better whether it's a girl or a boy that she or he will grow up in a world with so many strong female leaders." "I just hope I will be as good a mom to my child and hopefully children as my mom was to me," the former first daughter said. fOrmEr firSt DAuGhtEr Chelsea Clinton expecting 1st child pAriS » French special forces backed by helicop- ters led a pre-dawn opera- tion in northern Mail Thurs- day and freed five humani- tarian aid workers who had been held captive by a "ter- rorist group" — killing about 10 of the alleged militants, of- ficials said. Working off intelligence tips, the French forces in- tercepted two pickup trucks carrying the hostage-tak- ers and their captives north of the historic city of Tim- buktu, one of three major towns in a vast region on the Sahara's southern rim where the five went missing Feb. 8, said Col. Gilles Jaron, a French military spokesman. The five Malian aid work - ers — including four with the International Committee for the Red Cross —were said to b in good health. AfriCA French military frees 5 aid workers in Mali DENVEr » A Wyoming col- lege student who jumped to his death at a Denver ho- tel had eaten more of a mar- ijuana cookie than was rec- ommended by a seller, police records show — a finding that came amid increased concern about the strength of popular pot edibles after Colorado became the first state to legalize recreational marijuana. Levy Thamba Pongi, 19, consumed more than one cookie purchased by a friend — even though a store clerk told the friend to cut each cookie into six pieces and to eat just one piece at a time, said the reports. Pongi began shaking, screaming and throwing things around a hotel room before he jumped over a fourth-floor railing into the hotel lobby on March 11. COLOrADO DEAth Police: Student ate too much pot WAShiNGtON » A new gov- ernment report says the In- ternal Revenue Service au- dits less than 1 percent of large partnerships, drawing criticism from Congress. The Government Account - ability Office says the num- ber of large businesses or- ganized as partnerships has more than tripled since 2002, yet hardly any get close scrutiny by the IRS. In 2012, only 0.8 percent were subjected to field exams in which agents do a thorough review of books and records. The GAO defines large partnerships as those with more than 100 partners and more than $100 million in as - sets. Democratic Sen. Carl Levin of Michigan said many of the largest hedge funds and private equity firms are escaping IRS scrutiny. tAxES IRS audits very few big partnerships The Associated Press GENEVA » In a surprise accord, Ukraine and Russia agreed Thursday on tentative steps to halt violence and calm ten - sions along their shared bor- der after more than a month of Cold War-style military pos- turing triggered by Moscow's annexation of Crimea. Russia's pledge to refrain from further provocative ac - tions drew support but also a measure of skepticism from President Barack Obama, who said at a news confer - ence at the White House that the United States and its allies were prepared to ratchet up sanctions if Moscow doesn't fulfill its commitments. "I don't think we can be sure of any thing at this point," Obama said after Sec - retary of State John Kerry, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and diplomats from Ukraine and Europe sealed their agreement after hours of talks in Geneva. The agreement provides no long-term guide for Ukraine's future nor any guarantee that the crisis in eastern Ukraine will abate. But it eases inter - national pressure both on Mos- cow and nervous EU nations that depend on Russia for their energy. The deal requires all sides to refrain from violence, intimida - tion or provocative actions. It calls for disarming all illegally armed groups and returning to Ukrainian authorities control of buildings seized by pro-Russian separatists during protests. Notably, though, it does not require Russia to withdraw an estimated 40,000 troops massed near the Ukrainian border. Nor does it call for di - rect talks between Russia and Ukraine. The negotiations came against the backdrop of the bloodiest episode to date in the clashes that pit the new government in Kiev against an eastern insurgency the West believes is backed by Moscow. In the Black Sea port of Mariupol, authorities said three pro-Russian protest - ers were killed and 13 injured Wednesday during a raid on a Ukrainian National Guard base. uKrAiNE Accord reached on easing tensions US threatens sanctions if Moscow fails to uphold commitments Servicing your disposal needs in Tehama County, and the City of Red Bluff including Residential, Commercial, and Temporary bin services. GREEN WASTE OF TEHAMA A WASTE CONNECTIONS COMPANY 530-528-8500 1805 AIRPORT BLVD. RED BLUFF, CA GreenWaste is a proud supporter of local events. www.redbluff.mercy.org /veincare Get a Leg up on Your Health With the St. Elizabeth Center for Vein Care. Call anytime 888-628-1948 for a referral for varicose vein treatment options redbluff.mercy.org/veincare STOVE JUNCTION The The North State's premier supplier of stoves 22825 Antelope Blvd., Red Bluff 530-528-2221 • Fax 530-528-2229 www.thestovejunction.com Over 25 years of experience Tues-Sat 9am-5pm • Closed Sun & Mon Now Carrying! 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