Earth just may have a twin 600 light years away named Kepler-22b. While extrasolar planets are nothing unusual anymore, the fact that Kepler-22b is in a star's 'habitable zone' and orbits a Sun-like star all while actually being confirmed to exist in an astronomical first.
So, could Kepler 22-b be home to an alien civilization?
Unfortunately, that question is just about impossible to answer without traveling to the planet. On the other hand, assuming that alien life elsewhere in the galaxy has the same definition of a suitable climate that we earth species do, Kepler 22b could be a great home. Despite the vast gulf separating earth from the alien world, scientists already know that Kepler 22b is about 2.4 times the radius of the Earth, has a surface temperature of about 72 degrees, and, if the surface is solid, is almost certainly home to liquid water (a necessity for life as we know it), too.
As if that weren't enough, there's more, a lot more.
In April of this year, it was announced that Kepler had found 1,235 probable planets orbiting other stars. Now, only 8 months later, NASA has announced another 1,094 possible planets, bringing Kepler's total bag to a staggering 2,326. The interesting trend in these findings: Earth-like planets are being found at ever-increasing frequency and that smaller (Neptune and smaller-sized) planets are more numerous than Jupiter-like worlds.
In the end, while certainly not being the fingerprint of an alien civilization, Kepler 22b is interesting in that it is now known that very inviting, earth-like planets, can exist throughout the reaches of space. The most exciting part: Kepler is still looking for more!
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