NASA PLANET QUEST: The exoplanet missions are currently underway with more planned. The number of known exoplanets are expected to more than double by weekend. There will be a new count of exoplanets come Friday morning newspapers following a round-up of recent astronomical announcements. The Kepler data is expected to confirm the existence of 1,160 planets, most in the 'like-Earth' and 'like-Neptune' category. With such a large sample size, now the Copernican model is correct and that smaller planets are more likely to occur throughout the universe than gas giants. This means the potential for life is better than what thought as little as six months ago.
"The statistical result is loud and clear … planets like our own Earth are out there. The galaxy is rich in these kinds of planets," noted Dimitar Sasselov in a recent TED event. More details Thursday afternoon and Friday.
"The statistical result is loud and clear … planets like our own Earth are out there. The galaxy is rich in these kinds of planets," noted Dimitar Sasselov in a recent TED event. More details Thursday afternoon and Friday.
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