Two billion planets in our galaxy may be suitable for life

Data from Kepler space observatory suggests planets capable of supporting life are far more common than previously thought

Data from Kepler space observatory suggests planets capable of supporting life are far more common than previously thought. Our galaxy probably contains at least two billion planets that, like Earth, have liquid water on their surfaces and orbit around their parent stars in the 'habitable zone' for life. The nearest, according to astronomers, could be a mere 12 light years away. A new study, published today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, suggests that Earth-like planets capable of supporting life are far more common than previously thought. Subhanjoy Mohanty [Physics], an astrophysicist at Imperial College London who was not involved with the study, said: 'This is the first estimate of the frequency of Earth-like planets around sun-like stars, in orbits large enough to lie in the habitable zone of their stars. The finding that roughly one in five sun-like stars may host such planets is an incredibly important one, probably exceeding the expectations of most cautious astronomers.' He added that the latest analysis increased the chances that there might be life somewhere among the stars.