Title: 
Headings: How Many Worlds Are There?
Wonder of the Day #1235
How Many Worlds Are There?
Have You Ever Wondered...
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Content: Scientists believe that Earth is the only planet in our solar system that supports life, at least as we know it on Earth. For human beings to live and thrive, conditions have to be “just right," like they are on Earth. For example, humans could never survive the overwhelming heat on Mercury or the frigid cold on Neptune. Other conditions, such as poisonous gases and lack of water, also prevent other planets from being good hosts for life. Armed with this knowledge, scientists have long believed that life might be found elsewhere in the universe on planets similar to Earth orbiting other stars. For example, if we could find another star with a planetary system orbiting it that had a planet similar in size and location to Earth, perhaps it, too, would have those “just right" conditions for life as we know it. Many of these theories predated our ability to test them. With recent developments in technology, however, scientists are looking farther and farther into space…and learning some interesting things! In 2009, scientists launched the Kepler telescope specifically to look for planets around other stars. Scientists have just started to publish their findings from the data obtained from the Kepler telescope's many observations.