A new Earth-like planet has been found- the smallest ever discovered outside the solar system. It’s called Gliese 581e and it is 1.9 times the size of Earth, and it is about 20 light-years away.
(Coverage by Reuters and AP.)
The find was made by the European Southern Observatory’s telescope in La Silla, Chile. It is not habitable, but it gives new hope to the possibility of finding habitable, Earth-like worlds. And make no mistake, the search is well and truly on.
Another recent development is the discovery of exoplanets orbiting white dwarfs (effectively dead stars).
Will we find intelligent life? Or are we alone?
If there’s life out there, who knows, we might even find it in our lifetimes. But if we’re alone, we’ll keep looking, never quite sure of the truth. Either way, the search is not going to stop.