The search for extraterrestrial life gains momentum according to the Washington Post, Popular Science a.o.
The American NASA Kepler Space Telescope (photometer attached to a spacecraft) is finding new planets – 5 so far.
Arrays of radio telescopes have also been used, but radio is a slow communications form, and maybe the aliens use optically based communication.
Japanese researchers are engaged in similar research.
Are there habitable planets out there, are there aliens, also is there an end or border to the solar system as we see it now?
This follows the tradition of Copernicus, Kepler, Brahe who developed new tools and thinking to start us on our way. Today new tools, especially computers for calculations, and thinking is developing, and finding planets makes it more exciting.
The Milky Way. There is an estimated 1.000.000.000.000.000.000.000.000 stars out there – possibilities should be endless.