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Kepler 22-b
NASA's scientists have confirmed the existence of an earth-like planet outside the solar system. Despite the slightly dull name, the condition on Kepler 22-b could be just right for life. Circling a similar star to our Sun about 600 light years away, the 'New Earth' is bigger than our planet, and it boasts a rather pleasant temperature of around 22 degrees centigrade, which is just the right temperature for liquid water - something vital to support life.
But sci-fi fans need not get too excited about interesting aliens just yet. "There is no guarantee that there is even any water on it,” Dr Stephen Serjeant from the Open University told OpenLearn. “No water means no life, not even bacteria." He also added that it is certainly a very important step in the direction of finding a 'twin' to the Earth, but that is as far as we should go.
In one of the episodes from The Open University's iTunesU and YouTube series Seven Wonders of the Microbe World, experts explore how the search for new microbes is helping us to find life beyond earth:
The Open University / BBC co-production Stargazing Live, which is airing in January, will explore exoplanets and more. Visit the BBC Stargazing Live site and come back to the OpenLearn website for more information about the programme in the near future.
More on the search for Other Life
OU on the BBC: The Search For Life - The Drake Equation
Waifer X under CC-BY licence
Dallas Campbell explores the equation which attempts to calculate the number of planets supporting life in our universe. Read more : OU on the BBC: The Search For Life - The Drake Equation
How long would it take to colonise the galaxy?
Algol | Dreamstime.com
With habitable planets so far apart, is it mathematically feasible to believe that humankind could ever spread across the universe? Read more : How long would it take to colonise the galaxy?
Looking for dirty galaxies
The Open University
The Open University's Mattia Negrello has been using gravitational lensing to seek out dirty galaxies. How does he do it - and, what does it... Read more : Looking for dirty galaxies
Second life: Have we found a separate genesis?
NASA
Although an extraordinary development, life which grows from arsenic rather than phosphorous might not be evidence of a shadow biosphere, says David Rothery. Read more : Second life: Have we found a separate genesis?
From our LearningSpace
Jupiter and its moons
Learning Space 
Used with permission
Jupiter has long been an object of wonder, with its dramatic Great Red Spot, its numerous and varied satellites and the stunning collision of the... Read more : Jupiter and its moons
The Moon
Learning Space 
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As the only planetary body everyone is familiar with seeing in the sky, the Moon has long been an object of fascination and speculation. This... Read more : The Moon
![Polling Station signage [Image: kagey b under CC-BY-NC-ND licence]](/openlearn/files/ole/ole_images/places/general-urban-scenes/polling-station-sign/polling station sign_0_0.jpg)
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New Earths
Finding dirt worlds similar to Earth in size is probably not a hard thing to do, now that we are capable.
Some facts here:
Water isn't as abundant as some of the articles make it out to be. In fact, the universe, when it come to water, is a really desolate place.
Other kind of life, besides carbon, is possible, even plausible. However, another kind of life would not be living in the goldilocks zone we have envisioned. Besides, carbon doesnt require as much energy to transform as, say, silicon.
There is also metallicity (sic) of stars. Metal poor stars don't seem to meet the requirements. They are too hot, too cold, too large, or too small besides being metal poor. At least for what we need in the way of stable planetary bodies in habitable zones.
Then we have to worry about the galactic habitable zone. Currently, the harmful radiative zone extends more than halfway from the galactic center to us. It is growing. Let's also not forget that the spiral arms of the galaxy are not hospitable. Besides radiation of close by stars, there is the galactic tide which is manifested in the arms, as well as higher concenrations of cosmic rays, the destroyers of life.
As to life being alien, I would expect, with the chauvanism shown by the universe for carbon as the medium of life, and the emerging theory of convergent evolution, such life would be more like us than we would like to think.
Life on "New Earth'
I think it is very possible that there is some kind of extra-terrestrial life out there,what kind that even best scientist can not have answer i think. But i am pretty shore that we are not alone.
i agree with the previous
i agree with the previous comment and i believe the reason that we are not finding any is be cause we are too ignorant therefore we are looking for life like ours on earth- carbon based.
life on a "new earth"
As far as I am concerned, extra-terrestrial life is really existent, maybe that unknown planet has much more resources than those in our earth.