According to a review of studies for the last six years, the galaxy has more than 100 billion planets. This numbers are based to a computation of 1.6 planets every star. The new data gives physicists new number to fill in the formula used to calculate the amount of extraterrestrial life known as Drake equation.

The equation, which was named by its inventor Frank Drake, tries to compute the possible number of alien civilizations in the galaxy. Drake revealed the equation in 1961 to indicate the difficulty of finding alien life. The equation, however, is completely opposite as it is very easy to understand. It has multiplying number of variables just like the rate of star formation and the fraction of stars that have planets.

Although, the equation is easy to apply, it is very hard to find definitive values of the eight variables in the equation. The variables make the conditions for detectable life narrow down progressively. For example, one has to give estimation on the number of planets every star; then how many of them support life; then the number of these life-supporting planets that support intelligent life. Values for these variables are extremely speculative but the new research helps scientists to give closer possible value on the first part of the equation.

The research group evaluated a sample of reports that discovered planets with gravitational microlensing. When an enormous body, such as a planet, goes by in front of a star, the gravity of the planet bends the light delivered toward observers on Earth. Experts can identify this gravitational impact on the light and calculate the size of the faraway planet.

After going over earlier studies, the astronomers discovered that the majority of the planets in the sample were small, similar to Earth. This concurs with records from other planet-detecting approaches, such as those that calculate the dip in light when a planet goes by in front of a distant star.

This new assessment of information should take out at least a few of the uncertainty that comes into computing the Drake equation, however a lot of work stays. Even with a strong prediction for one of the variables, values for the different areas of the equation, such as the number of life-supporting planets that go on to develop intelligent life, are still very speculative. Depending on a scientist’s speculation on the likelihood of intelligent life, Drake equation findings can range from around a single alien civilization to hundreds of thousands. However, with the latest rise of discovered exoplanets over the previous decade, it appears like only a matter of time before astronomers find a life-supporting planet and maybe intelligent life outside our solar system.

Extraterrestrials-Aliens.com (c) 2012