100 Billion Planets in our Galaxy ... at least ...

New research provides more evidence that planetary systems are the norm. In fact, the study's authors claim that there are at least 100 billion planets in our galaxy alone.

That's the conclusion of a new study by astronomers at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) that provides yet more evidence that planetary systems are the cosmic norm. The team made their estimate while analyzing planets orbiting a star called Kepler-32—planets that are representative, they say, of the vast majority in the galaxy and thus serve as a perfect case study for understanding how most planets form.

"There's at least 100 billion planets in the galaxy—just our galaxy," says John Johnson, assistant professor of planetary astronomy at Caltech and coauthor of the study, which was recently accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal.

"That's mind-boggling."

Source



Will 2013 be the year of the exoplanets and discovery of life outside our solar system?

Damn, you made me lose count. I must brag that I was at the press conference that announced the discovery of the first solar system outside of our own. The presser occurred in Madison, Wisconsin in the mid-1990s at a conference. I still have the press releases and press kit.

Thanks for this thread, the concept contains it's own beauty and enjoyment. OK, I'm going to start over. (Looking at ground) One, (looking into the sky) two, three, four, I think that's, maybe five ........

reply to post by elevenaugust


Surely we should have more than a 100 billion planets. If I'm not mistaken I think I've read that we have a at least a 100 billion stars in our galaxy, so there has to be more than 100 billion planets I mean our star has 8 (or 9) planets itself. Interesting nonetheless!

the tin-foil-hat people are the ones that say that there is no alien life. the sheer number of stars (suns), with planets orbiting them, are so vast that the laws of probability mandate that there are hundreds of planets with alien life.

Not to mention that their are billions of galaxies as well. So you do the math

I'd be willing to put a lot of money, ok $20, that their is life of some sort on pretty much every damned planet out there. We've seen life exist in places we didn't know could exist even here on Earth. From the coldest to the hottest places possible.

*Life - as in bacterial form*

Kind of amusing that we are looking for Alien life on OTHER planets.

reply to post by December21st2012


Could just look in the mirror eh?

reply to post by jimmyx

the tin-foil-hat people are the ones that say that there is no alien life. the sheer number of stars (suns), with planets orbiting them, are so vast that the laws of probability mandate that there are hundreds of planets with alien life.

I thought "the tin-foil-hat" people believed in aliens. w/e

I HAVE heard the accusation from many on this site saying that "skeptics" don't belive in alien life. I don't think I have ever heard a "skeptic" say that though.

I think most people nowadays believe there is life elsewhere in the galaxy and universe. The odds for it are just to enormous for there not to be other forms of life.

When it comes down to saying that aliens have visited and are still visiting or have ties to the elite, etc., that's when skeptics start to ask for proof and question. IMHO

reply to post by jimmyx


And surely at least one of them will have intelligence life on it?

Though of course, there is no evidence as yet of intelligent life on any planet......

reply to post by 1/2 Nephilim


Try looking through the mirror!

and we are soo soo alone.

Originally posted by wiseseeker
reply to post by elevenaugust

 

Surely we should have more than a 100 billion planets. If I'm not mistaken I think I've read that we have a at least a 100 billion stars in our galaxy, so there has to be more than 100 billion planets I mean our star has 8 (or 9) planets itself. Interesting nonetheless!

I agree

Maybe it came from watching or reading to much Scify when I was a child but my Gut feeling always has been "there are planets around them there stars"!

Science needs proof and verifiable results to publish but still, no doubt many scientist who went before believed in Exoplanets; just didn't say much.

Originally posted by elevenaugust

"There's at least 100 billion planets in the galaxy—just our galaxy," says John Johnson, assistant professor of planetary astronomy at Caltech and coauthor of the study, which was recently accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal.

"That's mind-boggling."

Elevenaugust, great thread mate and that truly is mindboggling!

According to th is article about the XDF there may well be over 176 billion galaxies in the entire Universe (or even a trillion) so that's one hell of a lot of planets.

Red Ice Creations have also recently published this piece about astronomers witnessing planets forming for the first time.

Never-Before-Seen Stage of Planet Birth Revealed

Astronomers studying a newborn star have caught a detailed glimpse of planets forming around it, revealing a never-before seen stage of planetary evolution.

Large gas giant planets appear to be clearing a gap in the disk of material surrounding the star, and using gravity to channel material across the gap to the interior, helping the star to grow. Theoretical simulations have predicted such bridges between outer and inner portions of disks surrounding stars, but none have been directly observed until now.

link

Cheers.

100 billion planets in our galaxy X 100 billion galaxies and Earth is the only one that has found a way to travel to other planets(even just with probes). The Universe has got to be younger than we think OR the arrogance of man has sent out quite a bit of misinformation in regards to other life.

Originally posted by KaenasDestiny
100 billion planets in our galaxy X 100 billion galaxies and Earth is the only one that has found a way to travel to other planets(even just with probes). The Universe has got to be younger than we think OR the arrogance of man has sent out quite a bit of misinformation in regards to other life.

How do you know that aliens have no way to travel to other planets? The problem is, their planet systems might be hundreds of light years away from our Solar System. There's no way they could reach us, unless they discover speed-of-light travel.

reply to post by wildespace


Or other modes of going from one place to another that WE currently do not know or even remotely comprehend.

It really took a study for that?

I mean, look at the stars, our star, and the billions of others, then look at the galaxies those make up..

Then there is us, what are we looking out at all of this from? Well, a chunk of a elements.
It should be extremely safe to assume there are TRILLIONS of chunks of elements circling TRILLIONS of gaseous fumes formed of elements.

Originally posted by elevenaugust
New research provides more evidence that planetary systems are the norm. In fact, the study's authors claim
"There's at least 100 billion planets in the galaxy—just our galaxy," says John Johnson, assistant professor of planetary astronomy at Caltech and coauthor of the study, which was recently accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal.
"That's mind-boggling."

Originally posted by elevenaugust
Will 2013 be the year of the exoplanets and discovery of life outside our solar system?

I agree, It really is mind-boggling. One of the most significant studies currently being performed is the Kepler project.

One of the fundamental questions regarding the origin of planets is how many of them there are. Like the Caltech group, other teams of astronomers have estimated that there is roughly one planet per star, but this is the first time researchers have made such an estimate by studying M-dwarf systems, the most numerous population of planets known.

Pretty cool stuff.
Here is another website from Sci Channel with another listing of thoughts if "Are We Alone" and some of the scientific approaches that we are taking to find and learn about these exo-plantes.
Are we Alone?

Originally posted by AndyMayhew
reply to post by jimmyx

 

And surely at least one of them will have intelligence life on it? Though of course, there is no evidence as yet of intelligent life on any planet.....

Yup, that is the fact. You would think and certainly conjecture about the possibility of some form of life, but finding Intelligent Life (something caparable to human life) the odds/probabilty seem high, but, possible
Kepler Source

This argument is best summed up in two parts. One in the phrase, "truth is at first ridiculed, then violently opposed, and then accepted as self-evident truth". Two is from Sagan's Contact when Dr. Hathaway appeals to Drumlin for cutting her telescope slot. She appeals that if just ONE star, in ONE galaxy, yadda yadda yadda, and he counters by saying that the distances are either too vast or all you will ever find are noble gasses and compounds.

Now fast forward to right now and the skeptics "don't say" that alien life doesn't exist anymore. Why? Because in these very few years this truth has become self-evident.

Just wait until more data flows in...it will become increasingly obvious. And when we discover warp capability, it will rewrite the books for most.

But you will still have lots of people arrogant enough to insist we are the ONLY species to have developed inter stellar flight. Haha.
And until THAT is shown false, skeptics will continue to "win" this foolish debate.
But its all good. That's how it should be. It promotes progress.

reply to post by elevenaugust


Exciting news.

I'd be willing to bet my life savings that there are a trillion.