The truth is out there or I wan to believe are staples in the search for life outside of Earth thanks to the X-Files. Molder always wanted to find out what was out there. Looks like the odds were in his favor all along. A new study from the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences journal claims that one in five Sun-like stars has an Earth-size planet in the habitable zone. The closest Earth like planet that can hold life is only 12 light years away. What’s more if the 1 and 5 match is right, that means there are about 20 billion Earth-size planets in the Milky Way.
Geoff Marcy, a Berkeley astronomer and co-author of the research paper said “
Obviously, these findings are pretty exciting for planet hunters. “Earth-sized planets having the temperature of a cup of tea are common around sunlike stars. This represents one great leap toward the possibility of life, including intelligent life, in the universe.”
Before you get all paranoid about the incoming invasion, remember that “Earth-size” does not mean it’s “Earth-like.”
Lead author of the study Erik Petigura who is a Berkeley grad student said “When you look up at the stars in the night sky, how many of them have a planet like the Earth?” “We’re able to start answering this question.”