NASA has announced the discovery of Kepler 452b, a planet that is likely rocky and orbits within the habitable zone of a G2 star, making it the first candidate to meet all three criteria. This planet has a year length of 385 days and has existed in its habitable zone for 6 billion years, suggesting it may have a thick atmosphere and volcanic activity. The discovery implies that such Earth-like planets are likely common, with many more potentially undetected due to alignment issues. Although Kepler 452b is over 1300 light years away, the operational Kepler telescope continues to provide valuable data. Future observations will focus on determining the planet's atmospheric composition and exploring the potential for life.