Kepler's Planet Bonanza

 "The more we explore, the more we find familiar traces of ourselves amongst the stars that remind us of home."

-Jason Rowe, a leader of the research team and a scientist at the SETI Institute in Mountain View, Calif. [as quoted by NPR]

"We are not alone."

- Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) trailer

 

(Image is from NASA - artist's conception of the Kepler-11 system)

NASA scientists announced a huge new cache of verified planets in the distant reaches of space on Wednesday. Analyzing data from the Kepler space telescope, NASA confirmed an additional 715 "exoplanets"  - an increase of more than 70% in the mission total.  The Kepler telescope shutdown last year after just four years of operation due to mechanical problems.  Scientists continue to analyze the mission data and, with Wednesday's announcement, have now confirmed nearly 1700 planets. 

The Kepler mission's objective is to search the universe for potentially habitable planets and some of the recently verified planets appear to be very Earth-like. NPR's Neil Greenfieldboyce reports "Four of the [newly discovered] planets are about twice the size of Earth and orbit in their star's so-called habitable zone, where temperatures might be suitable for liquid water." 

NASA hadn't posted the details of the new planets yet on their website but sorting through data on the earlier 961 or so confirmed planets I found at least 5 that appear Earth-like.  My favorite candidate - for far future habitation or intelligent life - is Kepler-69c.  Its average temperature is a bit warm (26 C  or 79 F) but certainly habitable.  Kepler-69c is a bit larger than the Earth with a radius 70% greater and has a 242 day year.  Just as interesting is its star's temperature, mass and size - all very similar to the Sun's.  How cool is that?  

Only problem with most of the discovered Earth-like planets is that they're 1000 light years away from Earth.  So a signal from us to them would be returned no sooner than 4014.  

Nevertheless this is exciting news.  We are getting more and more evidence that perhaps "we are not alone".  

Helliconia Trilogy
 
One of my all-time favorite sci-fi trilogies is the Helliconia Trilogy by Brian Aldiss.  Published in the 1980's, the trilogy describes the rise and fall of civilizations on an Earth-like planet with a year that lasts the equivalent of about 2500 Earth-years.  Helliconia is home to two intelligent races - humans and phagors, each trying to survive the incredibly long and severe seasons on Helliconia.  Aldiss does a masterful job of world- and species-building.  Wikipedia has a good introduction to the trilogy.

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