In last week’s blog I expressed the hope we are not alone in the universe and that the Mars’ rover Curiosity will discover evidence of life on the Red Planet.
Is it possible that hope may become reality? On Monday, December 5th, NASA announced its Kepler telescope had discovered a planet, Kepler-22b, that may be Earth-like. The scientists believe Kepler-22b has an average surface temperature of 72 degrees Fahrenheit which would allow water to exist in liquid form.
But, it will be a long time before the authenticity of the discovery is verified. Kepler-22b is 600 light years from Earth. 1 light year is roughly 5.88 billion miles so 600 of these is a haul – not something you’d do in a weekend.
Unfortunately, unless Zefram Cochrane is about to test his warp drive enticing the Vulcans to visit this little blue orb, Kepler-22b will remain a mystery for generations.
What do you think? Is this a new Earth?
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