Once upon a time, humankind looked to the stars as a vast, mysterious place. While much remains unknown about the final frontier, we are learning more about space at a faster rate than ever before. New discoveries are sparking the curiosity for more space exploration, and the age-old notion that humans may one day discover extraterrestrial companions has gained some validity. Technological advancements are driving the success of the exploration, and we may be on the cusp of some of the biggest discoveries in the history of our species.

Over just the past few months, there has been a plethora of new discoveries. From possible signs of alien life to discoveries that the seemingly empty and desolate vacuum may not be as uninhabitable as was once thought, quite a bit has happened. Right now, China is in the process of building a radio telescope that, at 500 meters in diameter, will be the the biggest radio telescope on earth. It will be capable of surveying over one-million stars and solar systems for radio signals, which scientists say could be a strong sign of extraterrestrial life. On top of this, a new program named “Planet Hunters” began in 2010. As the name suggests, the purpose of this program is to find planets similar to Earth that could harbor life. The program takes in data from NASA’s Kepler telescope about the light emitted from stars. If light is blotted out for a certain period of time from a particular star, it is a sign that a planet is orbiting that star. In August, Planet Hunters discovered the planet Kepler 452-B, which is the most earth-like planet discovered yet, and has even been called “Earth 2.0.” While we have the technology to detect this planet and determine that it is in the so-called “Goldilocks Zone,” the area where a planet can support liquid water and possibly life, we do not have the technology to scan the planet for radio waves- at least not until China’s new telescope, which is due in 2016, is ready for action. Add in the fact that water was confirmed to exist on Mars at the beginning of September, and the possibility of liquid water on Kepler 452-B may not be so far-fetched. If water can exist on the nearest and only other planet we have searched, why can’t it exist on a much more Earth-like planet?

In October, the same telescope that supplies information to the Space Hunter program, Kepler, spotted a strange star named KIC 8462852. This star is unique because light is blocked out by objects passing in front of it. While this normally indicates planets are present, the light signature from this star is different because its light is blocked out for years at a time. This is strange because it has never been witnessed before, and scientists don’t really know why it’s happening, although there are theories. The first and most likely theory is that an extremely large group of comets was caught in the orbit of the star, but the second and far more interesting theory is that an alien civilization built “megastructures” that are blotting out the star. While this theory sounds like it comes out of a science fiction novel, it was surprisingly popular in the scientific community. Since the discovery of the star, the alien theory has been disproven after a radio scan turned up nothing, but the interest and the belief that it could be real existed.

As all of these discoveries and advancements happen on a daily basis, one thing is certain: humans are gaining an affinity for the mysteries of space. Maybe this stems from the idea that we may need to one day leave our pale blue home to survive, or maybe it is the notion that our intergalactic companions exist out there. While no one can say with certainty, the combination of the discoveries of water in our galactic backyard and a planet almost identical to Earth certainly raise the chance that we are not alone in this universe. Even if Kepler 452-B doesn’t contain life (and it’s likely it doesn’t), and even though KIC 8462852 didn’t have megastructures orbiting it, the precedence that life in the universe other than ours is inconceivable has been shattered. After all, KIC 8462852 is only 1,481 light years away, and Kepler 452-B is only 1,400 light years away, which are both extremely close to Earth relative to the vastness of the universe. That leaves a lot of unexplored universe for life to exist. Along with all of this, Kepler 452-B was the 1,030th planet in the Goldilocks Zone discovered, and more are being discovered daily. As technology advances at a screaming fast pace, it is only a matter of time before the deep reaches of space can be combed for life also. We once again must visit the age-old question: are we alone in this universe? While we cannot at this point in time definitively say so, one thing seems clear… It is no longer a matter of if we will discover extraterrestrial life, but when.