Earth-Like Planets are Common
It now appears that as many a 10% of rocky planets in the universe may have moons like our own. This configuration is essential for the development of higher life forms because the rotating moon retards orbital winds on the dominant planet. Without the influence of the nearby moon, those winds would blow at a continuous speed upwards of 200 MPH. This finding means that there are billions of such planets in our galaxy alone. It completely changes the equation regarding higher life forms, making them statistically much more probable.
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