The Kepler mission, a space observatory designed to examine deep space, has only been operational for six weeks but it already is starting to pay dividends. The observatory has located 140 suspected Earth-like planets among 700 suspected new planet discoveries. Previously, telescopes looking outside our solar system have identified only large gas giants.
Scientists need to confirm that the suspected planets are, in fact, planets, but their speculation based on the findings to date is that there may be as many as 100 million habitable planets in the Milky Way galaxy.
Imagine — the possibility of 100 million habitable planets in our galaxy, some of which may have their own life forms. Increasingly, science fiction is becoming reality. When will we begin to boldly go where no man has gone before?
Webner House 
Imagine how much land will cost on those planets! Great post.
http://www.denwrites.com
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Wow… the possibilities are exciting! 🙂 I wonder how long it would be till first contact?
Cheers, Niconica
http://niconica.wordpress.com
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That’s exciting and also a little scary…
http://www.wutevs.wordpress.com
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Wow, the amazing part is that we haven’t even left the ends of our own galaxy! More to come, keeps me on my toes!
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I’m excited to see what information Kepler can bring to us.
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Not to be a pessimist, but we can barely take care of one planet in a responsible manner: What will we do to 100 million?
Still, it is incredible.
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Scientists keep saying that, of course, there have to be other planets that could support life. But still, it’s pretty amazing to hear that the discovery of such planets is close at hand.
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Had we spent our time creating instead of warring we would already be there.Warp engine ready. Engage!
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This is so exciting but we need to be careful. We can’t just go where we aren’t wanted.
Tom
newyorksportszone.com
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This is such an exciting time! I honestly think that if man isn’t exploring, he’s stagnating. I would love it if we could do more than just look at these Earth-like planets.
Thank you for this post!
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Quite incredible but really…what are the chances of getting the human race to one of these planets and actually living there? Let’s focus on healing the planet we are living on now.
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If there is inhabitable ones then the next race of the world nations is to conquer and capture them and exploit the resources.Another possibility is that there may other beings which are stronger and wiser than we are.Then we will face the real terror……
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The problem is still how to get there with a manned mission, let alone eventual colonization, communication, or contact.
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That’s pretty cool, but I think we’re a long way off from being able to get even close to any of those planets. Long-range manned space travel isn’t even remotely plausible for us… at least not anytime soon. We’ll be lucky to get somebody to Mars within our lifetimes, much less way the heck outside our solar system and to another planet.
But say we do manage to send a manned mission to one of these other planets. What then? What happens if there’s already somebody living there, and they’re not too keen on visitors?
Aww, I’m just being pessimistic. That actually is pretty awesome. That kind of seals the deal in my mind… if there are 100 million-plus habitable planets in the universe, there’s no way we’re alone. Really makes you think…
http://joesplace36.wordpress.com
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That’s great! It’s like Star Trek is ‘coming to life,’ eh? Can humans be that arrogant so as to think that they really are alone in the universe? Given how VASTLY large the universe is, to think that humans are the only sentient beings is a fairly arrogant, in my opinion. In terms of when it is that humans discover this, I don’t know, but I imagine that eventually, there will be a world we live in that is similar to Star Trek (in that there are many different kinds of species).
With Love and Gratitude,
The Intentional Sage
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wow, what a great eye opening concept! Great post!
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A twisted tale… those planets too get over- populated with Human species and pollution..
I too am of somewhat similar opinion; maybe, science fictions aren’t that at all. They may be telepathic messages or premonitions??
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Panspermia can begin. Then we just wait 3800 million years for intelligences similar to humanities to evolve at which time we can begin communication.
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This so Exciting!
-Noor
http://noor724.wordpress.com/
🙂
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Of course , lifeless planets don´t exist because they are a myth sold to scare people into not wanting to explore.
The myth was later used to expand itself into the inner and outer edges of this solar system.
When you visit a planet you must first ask for permission , you receive your response within. 100 million planets in the Milky Way that look just like Earth could explain where tons of the various ufonauts may be coming from. Except that we did not wait for other intelligences to contact us – we were put to Earth – all of us , ALL of the multicellular organisms came to this planet one way or another. Some simply manifested out of nowhere. Some came from crystals , rocks , yet others came from some animal species. Then there is all the life out there that psychics can detect , and all the ´nonphysical´life. Welcome to a world where there is no such thing as lifeless planets , where those who scoffed at the official version of 9 – 11 are the laughing stock of the supermarkets of today´s world litterature , where SETI is no longer known as SETI but DETI (Discovery of Extraterrestrial Intelligence).
Where mankind apologizes to itself for it´s stupidity in kidding themselves about being alone when there have been so many here and everywhere else all along.
No lifeless planets , no lifeless universes , no flat universes , no limits. No limited speeds , no limits to anything.
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Interesting take! I really enjoyed reading it! Plus I’ve picked up some blogging tips here.
Ed
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This only lets me know that I have not wasted my time reading Isaac Asimov and John Scalzi’s series.
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Given the vastness of the Milky Way, not to speak of the Universe, it would be more likely than NOT that life besides our own is flourishing. But it’s certainly nice to get a glimpse of what most scientists have already assumed to be.
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What…this is crazy. Just thinking about how small we are in comparison to not only our solar system but the incredible vastness of the universe is really humbling.
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Yay.
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My question is this:
Did these planets exist before they were observed?
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amazing. Just amazing.
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Interesting article. It is amazing that there is that much out there. It’s not the life forms that prick an eye to me, but the fact that there are resources out there that can be mined and collected and space for a growing population. I’m not a gold-digger by any means, but it is business interest that will get us out there. Space aged gold rush? It’s almost as if God anticipated us eventually going up there, and then put the resources out there for us to do it with.
Now there are challenges ahead though. One, we still do no have a decent technology for propulsion in space, although that is coming. As an engineer, it is my two cents worth that nuclear power will be instrumental in long range space travel.
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I hope there are Peace loving beings there!!!
evelyngarone.com
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Hman Spaceflight, after Sputnik One, through Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo, spurred a giant leap in the economy and a bonanza of new income, purchase, and profit tax, generated by new tools and toys, spun-off the upgraded specifications in materials and technologies needed to keep humans alive in a spaceship.
Competition with USSR, was the stick that urged my generation outwards. The young of today are raised on astonishingly advanced pocket communications-and-entertainments devices, as the norm. The natural desire to expand the habitat of humankind outwith System Sol is periodically given nice carrots by our friends the astronomers.
Other mindkind are most likely to exist, and it matters not that Earth kind are unlikley to make contact. Too bad that UFO nutters distract news media from the real excitement.
The very endeavour itself, of aiming at attaining star-flght capability is reward and reason enough why we of Earth should apply our utmost effort (nations co-operating, companies competing) in developing clean and efficient habitats in orbit, on Selene, on Mars, and on other moons and asteroids, for taking matters onward.
Any other course would signal our terminal decline back to short and brutish rock-banging days.
Cy Quick at sumpnado.wordpress.com
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The future will have more confirmation of life on other planets as space ships get deployed into various regions of the Milky Way. I think many interesting stories and revelations will be read and listened to by millions of people learning from explorers.
Who knows, maybe there will be worlds that hold faeries or giants like in that 1968 TV show called Land of the Giants in which human beings will be the size of cockroaches. I hope there is no pest extermination companies on such planets that might exist like that. They might see humans as an invasion to be exterminated.
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Good post!
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“Scientists need to confirm that the suspected planets are, in fact, planets, but their speculation”
um, so it’s not confirmed, and it’s based off speculations, yeah, not that exciting until there are confirmed “Earth-like” planets, until then my friends it’s just wishful thinking to say there “may be as many as 100 million habitable planets in the Milky Way galaxy.”
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Much of what scientists speculate about deep space is wishful thinking, based on a small amount of scientific mumbo jumbo to give the idea a bit more credit that it would have if it was a straight guess. 90% of what they say won’t be proved until they actually venture out there. SO!! I kinda like the idea of ‘wishful thinking’.
Alan
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Fascinating! I hope to learn what is on these other planets in my lifetime! Congrats on being Freshly Pressed!
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interesting article! imagine if we can go to another habitable planet outside our solar system.. truly amazing. will there be some kind life form there too?
amazing as it but no offense here. we can barely take care of one planet let alone hundreds of them, don’t you think so? can’t even save one from pollution and if we able to live in another planet i bet that planet will also suffer the same fate as our earth now.
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I like about Scientist post.It’s intersrting.Thank.
http://www.sanukyogamat.com
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I’ve been staring at discovery news (& others) about this topic for ages. I can’t wait to see what comes of it. On the other hand, I have a feeling the world isn’t ready for it.. and even if it were, money for conflict will (unfortunately) come first.
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Some day we will hope on the space craft and go visit some friend on the outer Galaxy, only need to do wait 100+ year and you are on your way to your dream vacation!
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That’s so crazy! Ever since I was little i have always dream/wondered about all those Earth like planets.
Amazing
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Hey! Awesome Post & thanks for sharing it! Something Amazing to think about.
your friends, XR VOLUME
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greetings from germany
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This is freaky to think about. So many possibilities!
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I had read in a comic book when I was a kid, some aliens invade the Earth, but are terrified to discover that their bodies dissolve in a dangerous liquid found in abundance on Earth – a highly soluble mixture of Hydrogen and Oxygen gases – formula H2O, common name for humans – Water!
When I remember that story, I imagine humans landing on one of these 100 million planets, only to find life forms that drink H2SO4 as water, and wash their faces with it… 😮
Scary, huh!
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I had read in a comic book when I was a kid, some aliens invade the Earth, but are terrified to discover that their bodies dissolve in a dangerous liquid found in abundance on Earth – a highly soluble mixture of Hydrogen and Oxygen gases – formula H2O, common name for humans – Water!
When I remember that story, I imagine humans landing on one of these 100 million planets, only to find life forms that drink H2SO4 as water, and wash their faces with it… 😮
Scary, huh!
– http://tehsecretcloset.wordpress.com
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This sounds exciting, a new batch of exo planets, or is it a repeat of the 130 or so exoplanets discoved since 1991.
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You said “science fiction is becoming reality”…
Yes, very much so. The old original Star Trek shows, for example, look less fiction as time progresses.
There is no doubt, at least to some of us, that there has to be other life forms out there in the cosmos besides the dwellers of this lovely planet.
This was a nice post on such an interesting subject……
Cheers!
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Yeah that’s a great information by you i’m very much interested reading this.. whether there is another world like here we are living in the earth..
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that is very interesting and exciting news.
everything that was once just a crazy dream is becoming real. slowely. everyday.
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To the people who ask how soon it will be until first contact, I present to you the infamous words of Michio Kaku: “We could be in the middle of an intergalactic conversation and we wouldn’t even know.”
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