New research indicates that the Milky Way Galaxy alone contains billions of potentially habitable planets — and that’s just one small part of the universe. The fascinating question of whether we are alone in the universe basically comes down to some intricate mathematical calculations. A new study combines exoplanet data with a new version of a 250-year-old method for determining orbital periods and positions of planets. The research calculates that in our galaxy alone, there could be billions of planets hosting liquid water, habitable conditions and perhaps even life.

There May Be More Earth-Like Planets than Grains of Sand on All Our Beaches