Scientists believe one in five stars in our galaxy have Earth-like planets orbiting them.But the ultimate goal of finding a world that truly resembles our own has continued to elude astronomers.据英国《每日邮报》报导，科学家找到在距离地球200光年的地方有一颗与地球质量完全相同的谜样行星。尽管科学家指出在银河系中五分之一的恒星都有一个与地球相近的行星环绕其运营，但是天文学家们却未曾寻找另外一个与地球确实相近的世界。

Now researchers have come a step closer by finding Earths gassy twin in another solar system 200 light years away.不过，研究者们最近离这一目标又将近了一步，在距离地球200光年的外星系中找到了地球的“双胞胎”。It orbits a dim red dwarf star at such a close distance that temperatures on its surface could be as high as 104°C - too hot for most forms of life on Earth. KOI-314C is only 30 per cent more dense than water. This suggests that the world is enveloped by a blanket of hydrogen and helium hundreds of miles thick.这颗被称作“KOI-314c”的行星，质量与地球非常，但是体积比地球大60%。

科学家猜测这是因为它的大气层更加薄。Scientists believe it may have started life as a mini-Neptune before some of its atmospheric gases were blasted away by intense radiation from the parent star. This planet might have the same mass as Earth, but it is certainly not Earth-like, said lead astronomer Dr David Kipping from the Harvard-Smithsonian Centre for Astrophysics. It proves that there is no clear dividing line between rocky worlds like Earth and fluffier planets like water worlds or gas giants.这颗行星环绕一颗暗红色的小行星近距离运营，因此其表面温度高达104摄氏度，这个温度对于地球上的大部分生物来说都太高。

The findings were presented at the annual meeting of the American Astronomical Society in Washington DC. To weigh KOI-314c, the scientists used a new technique called transit timing variations (TTV), which only works when more than one planet orbits a star.行星”KOI-314C“的密度只比水低30%。这意味著它被厚达几百英里的氢气和氦气像毯子一样包覆着。但是科学家指出，在其大气受到来自恒星的强劲电磁辐射而发生爆炸之前，这颗行星有可能早已像一颗迷你海王星那样运营。

The two planets tug on each other, slightly altering the time they take to cross or transit the stars face. Analysing the way the planetary wobbles affect light coming from the star makes it possible to calculate their mass. KOI-314cs companion world is similar to it in size but weighs four times more than the Earth.哈佛大学史密森尼天体物理学中心的David Kipping博士则指出：“这颗行星有可能只是与地球质量完全相同，但认同不是与地球相近的行星。”The new discovery was made by chance as scientists scoured data from the Kepler space telescope looking for evidence of moons rather than planets. When we noticed this planet showed transit timing variations, the signature was clearly due to the other planet in the system and not a moon, said Dr Kipping. At first we were disappointed it wasnt a moon, but then we soon realised it was an extraordinary measurement.此前，科学家企图从开普勒太空望远镜的数据中找寻与地球相近的卫星，而这颗行星是机缘巧合下的新发现。

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