New Study Shows 6 Percent of Galaxy Hosts Earth-Size Worlds

You know what that means… We are not alone!

The Harvard Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics announced Wednesday that some 60 percent of the galaxy’s most ubiquitous stars are likely host planets smaller than Neptune and about 6 percent host Earth-size planets. Astronomers talked of a “Goldilocks” zone where liquid water—and life as we know it—are possible.

Courtney Dressing, a graduate astronomer who led the study, says that “the nearest Earth-like planet is expected to be about 13 light years away.” In other words, if the Milky Way was the size of the United States and earth was located on one side of Central Park, the nearest Earth-like planet is just across the park. SCARY but exciting! (CBS News)

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