Astronomers say they are on the verge of finding planets, as Earth orbiting other stars, a key step to determine if we are alone in general.NASA's top official, and other leading scientists say that four or five years they have been detected before the Earth as a planet where life could develop, or perhaps already has. Close to the size of planet Earth might even find some this year if the initial recommendations of a new space telescope pan out.
At the annual American Astronomical Society conference this week, each discovery includes a so-called "exoplanets" - which is outside our solar system - pointed to the same conclusion: Quiet planets, the Earth, where life could possibly have developed a lot, despite the violent universe of exploding stars crushing black holes and galactic collisions.
New NASA's Kepler telescope and a lot of new research from the suddenly hot and competitive field of exoplanet raises considerable buzz on the convention. Scientists talk about it "incredibly special place in history" and closer to answering the question that haunted humanity since the beginning of civilization.
"The fundamental question is: Are we alone? In July, the first time, there is optimism that sometimes in our lifetime we will be able to get to the bottom," said Simon "Pete" worden, an astronomer who headed NASA's Ames Research Center. "If I were betting man, I am who I am but we're not only - there is lots of life."
Even the Roman Catholic Church has held a scientific conference on the prospect of extraterrestrial life, including a meeting last November.
"These are big questions, to reflect on the meaning of the universe the human race" Director of the Vatican Observatory, the Rev. Mr. Jose Funes, said on Wednesday in an interview at this week's conference.
Worden told Associated Press: "I certainly expect the next four or five years, we would like to be Earth-sized planets habitable zone."
Worden's Center operates Kepler telescope, which makes intense planetary census of a small part of the galaxy.
Unlike the Hubble Space Telescope, which is a universal instrument, Kepler telescope is directed only to the planet-hunting. Its only instrument is a light meter that measures the brightness of more than 100,000 stars while looking for something that causes the star dim. This dimming is often a planet passes in front of a star.
Any planets that could support life would almost certainly be rocky rather than gaseous. And it would be just the right location. Planets too close to the star will be too hot, and they are too far is too cold.
"Every rock we turn over, we find the planet," said Ohio State University astronomer Scott Gaudi. "It occurs in all types of environments, all the type of place."
Researchers are finding exoplanets at dizzying pace. In 1990, astronomers found a planet a few years. For most of the last ten years, it was up to a couple of planets per month.
This year, the planet is found on a daily basis, thanks to Kepler telescope. Number of exoplanets discovered is now well past 400th But none of these components have the right to life.
This is a change, say experts.
"From Kepler, we have strong indications to smaller planets in large numbers, but they have not been tested yet," said Geoff Marcy of California at Berkeley University. He is one of the founders of the field of planet hunting and Kepler scientist.
But a large protest. Most already exoplanet candidates discovered Kepler approached to be something other than a planet, like the stars through telescope view of the double and triple checked, "said Kepler top scientist Bill Borucki.
Kepler is concentrating on about 1/400th of the night sky, scanning more than 100,000 stars, ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand light years away. Light year is of 5.9 trillion miles. Thus, these planets are too far away to travel to, and they can look just like our solar system planets.
If it were Earth-and body zone Kepler wanted to find a telescope, Marcy said. But it may take three years to confirm the planet's orbit.
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