How many Earth-like planets in the Milky Way?

Earth was not the only one of exclusive planet. There are billions of other planets that have a similar size and condition with the Earth. Recent astronomical research reveals interesting facts.

As quoted by page Telegraph, Tuesday, October 29, 2013, one-fifth of the stars similar with Sun in the Milky Way is predicted to have at least one Earth-like planet. Earth-like planet is not just similar in the size with our planet, but also to be in the habitable zone, which is not too hot and also not too cold.

This is an artist's illustration of Kepler-62f, a planet in the "habitable zone" of a star that is slightly smaller and cooler than ours. Kepler-62f is roughly 40 percent larger than Earth. (Picture from: http://www.wnyc.org/)

Using the data of the U.S. space agency (National Aeronautics and Space Administration / NASA), the astronomers calculate there are at least 8.8 billion stars with planets that are like Earth in size in the habitable temperature zone in our galaxy alone. Though there are billions of other galaxies in the universe. The study was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science journal on last Monday, October 28, 2013.

NASA’s Kepler space telescope.
(Picture from: http://www.universetoday.com/)

For the first time the scientists calculate that the percentage of star similar with Sun have planets like Earth reaches to 22 percents. It was obtained from NASA's Kepler telescope during the last four years has been studying 150 thousand stars that surrounded Earth-like planets.

The Kepler scientist, Natalie Batalha says that there is still a lot of data that must be learned before the number was considered as the final figure. There are about 200 billion stars in our galaxy, and the stars similar with Sun was 40-50 billion.

"That means, there are at least 11 billion Earth-like planets," said Geoffrey Marcy of the University of California. Even one Earth-like planet orbiting a star a mere 12 light-years away and can be seen with the naked eye from the Earth. This planet has a temperature suitable for life.

According to Marcy that main purpose of the Kepler mission is to find the fraction of stars that have planets that are like Earth in size and have warm temperatures, so it does not make the water freezes or evaporates. "Since the water is a prerequisite for life," he said. *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | TELEGRAPH | AP | MAHARDIKA SATRIA HADI | KORAN TEMPO 4395]

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