Singular

Not long ago it was thought that our galaxy must have many other planets like Earth. Planets that are the right distance from their star, with the right temperature range and liquid water, were thought able to support life. Based on the number of stars, the Milky Way was estimated to have ~50 billion such planets.

As more is being learned, that estimated number of earth-like planets is going down - way down.

A Swedish astrophysicist has submitted a new study to The Astrophysical Journal that suggests ". . that there are around 700 quintillion planets in the universe, but only one like Earth. It’s a revelation that’s both beautiful and terrifying at the same time."