First interactive map of galaxy's habitable planets

You might have wondered, looking up at the night sky, how many other beings are out there looking back at us. Help is at hand. Using data from NASA's Kepler Space Telescope, New Scientist has made an interactive map illustrating the stars that we might expect to host roughly Earth-sized, potentially habitable planets.

Click Here to see
The grid of squares above represents the patch of sky that Kepler stared at for nearly four years. So far, the space telescope – nicknamed the Planet Hunter – has confirmed the existence of 151 exoplanets and identified more than 3500 strong candidates.

Now, using what we know from Kepler, and simulations from its data by Courtney Dressing and David Charbonneau of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics in Cambridge, Massachusetts, New Scientist has estimated and mapped the density of habitable worlds across the whole sky. Given that the Milky Way is thought to contain between 100 and 200 billion stars, our best estimate of the total number of such planets in our galaxy is 15 to 30 billion.


Earths galore

After extrapolating for all the missing worlds, Kepler's field of view becomes dense with planets that may be like Earth.

Now consider this: Kepler observed just 0.28 per cent of the sky. And the telescope was able to peer out to only 3000 light years away, studying less than 5 per cent of the stars in its field of view. So how many Earths might really be out there?

New Scientist

Something cool and new every day from Kepler. Click on the link then scroll down the page. All the green dots will be planets they think can support life as we know it.

reply to post by Grimpachi


15 to 30 billion sounds like allot but based on our limited knowledge I would not be surprised if those numbers fall way short of what is actually there.. Sentient beings on worlds far away...? Without proof my gut says there are.. But the age old question of how many, where, and do they drink coffee remains unanswered?

reply to post by 727Sky


It could also go the opposite and wind up being many many more.

reply to post by Grimpachi


Hummm I thought that was what I implied....?

reply to post by Grimpachi


That is mind-blowing and amazing.

I am so glad you shared this! It inspires the imagination and gets the gears going.

reply to post by 727Sky


errr......my bad. I misread. Hurp a durp.

Ahem... I concur with your post.

reply to post by Grimpachi


Yes!!!

Direct link to interactive map of potentially habitable planets.

Star. Check. Flag. Check. Lots of planets. Check.

reply to post by Grimpachi


Made my hair stand on end and gave me a shiver - but in the good way

Beautiful

I don't think we're alone...

727Sky
reply to post by Grimpachi

 

15 to 30 billion sounds like allot but based on our limited knowledge I would not be surprised if those numbers fall way short of what is actually there.. Sentient beings on worlds far away...? Without proof my gut says there are.. But the age old question of how many, where, and do they drink coffee remains unanswered?

edit on 20-10-2013 by 727Sky because: ...

Ah yes. If only Kepler could go on for another hundred years and TOTALLY map the sky. I have to agree with you, I hope they will indulge in a Sumatra blend coffee with us.