To us Earth is a unique planet.

It has liquid water, an atmosphere that shelters it from radiation, and plate tectonics; but most importantly: it sustains life.

We have always considered ourselves the anomaly…but what if there are other planets out there that could harbor life?

That would get folks pretty excited, right? Well…

A recent publication from the National Academy of Sciences may point to just that.

Using data from NASA’s Kepler Spacecraft, the study concludes that 1 in 5 stars in the galaxy harbor earth-like planets. These planets are close to earth in size and are capable of holding liquid water on their surface.

UC Berkeley astronomer Geoffrey Marcy stated that this finding:

“represents one great leap toward the possibility of life, including intelligent life, in the universe.”

If these planets truly have the ability to be inhabited, what possibilities exist, and what does this mean for life on earth?