NASA announced the discovery of 7 new Earth-like planets on Wednesday, at a special press conference in Washington, DC. The newly-discovered exoplanets could be home to extraterrestrial life-forms, under the right atmospheric conditions, according to the agency. Rt.com reports: The exoplanets, meaning planets outside our solar system, circle the star TRAPPIST-1, which lies just 39 light-years from Earth. The discovery sets a new record for the greatest number of habitable-zone planets found around a single star outside our solar system. Illustration: sizes of #TRAPPIST1 planets vs. Solar System bodies. Read more: https://t.co/CHDlq1WS5G pic.twitter.com/18Qmxf3U4k — ESO (@ESO) February 22, 2017 “This discovery could be a significant piece in the puzzle of finding habitable environments, places that are conducive to life,” Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate in Washington, said in a statement. “Answering the question, ‘Are we alone?’ is a top science priority and finding so many planets like these for the first time in the habitable zone is a remarkable step forward toward that goal.” At a news conference to announce the discovery, one of the research team said TRAPPIST-1’s relatively close proximity to Earth means information on the planet’s life-hosting potential should soon be informed by hard [...]
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