Is there life on other planets in the universe?

Many scientists believe we are not alone in the universe. It’s probable, they say, that life could have arisen on at least some of the billions of planets thought to exist in our galaxy alone — just as it did here on planet Earth. This basic question about our place in the Universe is one that may be answered by scientific investigations.

What are the planets outside our solar system like?

So far, the planets outside our solar system have proven to be fascinating and diverse. One planet, known as HD 40307g, is a “super Earth,” with a mass about eight times that of Earth. The force of gravity there would be much stronger than here at home.

Will we ever be able to say that every star has planets?

“Sometime in the near future, people will be able to point to a star and say, ‘that star has a planet like Earth’,” says Sara Seager, professor of planetary science and physics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

How many habitable planets have been discovered?

Of the 1,030 confirmed planets discovered by NASA’s Kepler spacecraft, a dozen are less than twice the size of Earth and reside in the habitable zone of their host stars.

In the 1960s Frank Drake, Carl Sagan and a number of other scientists began searching for signals indicating the existence of intelligent life elsewhere in the universe. As it became increasingly clear that there was no intelligent life on other planets in the solar system, it became possible to detect signals from much further away.

How does gravity affect life on other planets?

On a bigger or denser planet, the gravity would be higher, meaning that life would evolve to be shorter, sturdier and perhaps with multiple limbs for structural support. Conversely, on a lighter planet with weaker gravity, life could hop, soar and glide more easily, and would be more likely to evolve a lighter, taller build.

Does Marconi believe he is receiving signals from the planets?

Marconi believes he is receiving signals from the planets provides extensive commentary on similar signals observed by the Italian engineer Guglielmo Marconi.

Is there intelligent life on other planets in the Solar System?

As it became increasingly clear that there was no intelligent life on other planets in the solar system, it became possible to detect signals from much further away. The Drake Equation was a way to estimate the number of civilizations out in the galaxy that could be sending out radio signals we could detect.