Potentially Habitable Planets Are Common, Study Says

[MikeyB]

"More than half of the sunlike stars in the galaxy could have terrestrial planets with the potential to harbor life, a new study suggests." (http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/02/080219-planets-life.html) (National Geographic News)

This finding, from research announced a few days ago at a meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in Boston, Massachusetts, doesn't seem to have been widely reported. And then there's this, from about halfway through the linked article: "At the briefing, scientists also advanced the possibility that our solar system contains hundreds or even thousands more dwarf planets like Pluto, hidden from view in the distant region known as the Kuiper belt. There is a growing body of evidence that the poorly understood region contains several Earth- or Mars-size planets and many tinier bodies"

A "new Copernican revolution" indeed, if the findings are correct!

[coldspace]

And when you think that there is over 800 Billion stars in the Milkyway there is alot of possibilities.

Matt

[Zuts]

It makes you wonder where all the aliens are? Fermi's paradox makes good reading i reckon.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fermi_paradox

Paul

[coldspace]

Thanks for that, it was a good read, but like I said there are alot of possibilities, If they ever find any form of life either bacterial or tech. advanced in my lifetime it will rewrite history, I think that is why we humans want to keep exploring, to find out the answers to these things. The main problem is our inadequate tech. and distances involved. Who would have thought of exo-planets 20 years ago. I would like to think that we were not alone here but who knows?

Matt.

[programmer]

I guess the usual issue, being the distances involved, if you accept FTL travel as impossible.



Lots of Science Fiction writers :)

I feel fairly confident we will have conclusive proof of 'Earth-like' planets within the next 30 years. Of course they will be tantalizingly out of our reach...

Edit: I know we have 'proof' already, I'm referring to something more tangible (dare I say, visible?)