Kepler-438b (also known by its Kepler Object of Interest designation KOI-3284.01) is a confirmed near-Earth-sized exoplanet, likely rocky, orbiting within the habitable zone of the red dwarf Kepler-438, about 470 light-years (145 pc) from Earth in the constellation Lyra. The planet was discovered by NASA's Kepler spacecraft using the transit method, in which the dimming effect that a planet causes as it crosses in front of its star is measured. NASA announced the confirmation of the exoplanet on 6 January 2015. It is the most Earth-like planet known to date. Kepler-438b is a near-Earth-sized exoplanet with a radius 1.12 times that of Earth. The planet orbits the red dwarf Kepler-438, a star considerably smaller and cooler than the Sun, once every 35.2 days. The planet was announced as being located within the habitable zone of Kepler-438, a region where liquid water could exist on the surface of the planet. It was described as being one of the most Earth-like planets, in terms of size. …