http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/kepler/overview/index.html#.VHy7_XYnjtQ
Kepler is a mission launched by NASA in 2009 with the objective to coordinate a habitable planet. Potential Kepler planets must be within a habitable range of whatever sun they orbit.
An Exoplanet or exosolar planet is a celestial body that exists outside of our solar system. There’s a plethora of exoplanets outside of our solar system. Within the group of Exoplanets, Kepler planets are habitable worlds similar to our Earth. Kepler planets must be within a “habitable zone” of their host star, otherwise their surface temperature would be too extreme for humans to inhabit. Perhaps extremophiles can survive in such an extreme environment. The planets must also have an atmosphere and body of liquid water both of which are necessary for sustaining life. In order to be labeled an Earth-like planet, an exoplanet must match the Kepler criteria: Orbiting in a habitable zone of its sun, a body of water, an atmosphere, and a tepid climate.
In more detail, a habitable zone is the appropriate distance a planet must maintain while in orbit around its host star. The proximity the planet and its star share has jurisdiction over all the other necessities an Earth-like planet must have. For instance, if an exoplanet is orbiting too close to a star, theoretically the temperature would exponentially increase while in turn making the water evaporate. All the ingredients to life essence would be stripped away. Based on speculation, I suppose humans can somehow install an artificial atmosphere into a planet, but I’d assume that it would entail the use of harmful chemicals. If a planet was dearth of an atmosphere, ideally humans could somehow harmonically fuse advanced technology with the natural resources of the planet (without environmental extortion) to create a sustainable ecosystem. However, this would take some time before our civilization could colonize the planet. NASA has researched various ways to safely integrate civilization into an exoplanet (given that we can travel the vast distance) without squandering the planets resources. Everything in nature is shared; foolish human activity can greatly perturb its essence.
Out of the billions of exoplanets out there, only a fraction of habitable planets exist and within that group of planets, the most eerie, yet most compelling Earth-like plants reside. Kepler 62-f, aka the “Water World” is an exoplanet analogous to our own, that is covered with liquid water. Its diameter is approximately 1.4 times larger than Earth and it currently orbits a star that is dimmer than ours. The ocean depth of Kepler 62-f is thousands of kilometers deep, you can probably fit an entire continent under its ocean. The Kepler 11 solar system is home to six planets larger than Earth. However the entire planetary system is compact, its width is equivalent to Mercury’s orbit. Kepler 186-f is the first exoplanet with a radius similar to Earths within a habitable zone of a star.
Kepler 186-f is too far away (approx. 500 light years) to thoroughly analyze with this generations technology. We have yet to determine if its atmosphere contains any oxygen or if it even has an atmosphere at all. Mankind is not the only species that occupies space. Out of the billions of exoplanets, many civilizations exist. Once science develops technology capable of distant space travel, I fear that our species will become power hungry and instigate a war with another kind. Imperialism is all over the agendas of giant corporations and governments. Our nation’s foundation is based off of imperialism. The most prudent option would be to peacefully assimilate humanity into an alien culture (with permission of course).Civility and cooperation are paramount to intergalactic migration.