Kepler keeps on delivering: we’ve just discovered the first Earth-sized planet within its sun’s habitable zone. That alone might not mean much, of course: it’s not clear whether it has an atmosphere at all, and if it doesn’t, it won’t have liquid water, and probably no life; and of course, even if it has an atmosphere, nobody knows how likely or unlikely it will be to carry life, much less intelligent life. But it’s a start (and maybe a bit of positive science-news to balance the depressing news of Gabriel García Márquez’ death).
The facts: it’s 500 lightyears away, 1.1 times the size of the Earth, and likely to be rocky (though nobody knows yet for sure). Its year lasts 130 days, and since it’s a bit further out in its sun’s habitable zone, even with an atmosphere it might be chilly (then again, I suppose there’s a possibility that thanks to greenhouse effects, it might not be). So definitely, a spot in the universe to keep our eyes on.