FINANCIAL TIMES: our Milky Way galaxy contains more than 20bn Earth-like planets with temperatures that could sustain life, according to the most comprehensive survey to date of habitable planets beyond the solar system.
Statistical analysis of observations by Kepler, Nasa’s planet-hunting satellite, over three years suggests that 22 per cent of stars have Earth-sized planets in the “Goldilocks zone” that is neither too hot nor too cold for biological processes.
“What this means is, when you look up at the thousands of stars in the night sky, the nearest Sun-like star with an Earth-size planet in its habitable zone is probably only 12 light years away and can be seen with the naked eye. That is amazing,” said Erik Petigura of the University of California, Berkeley… (more)
