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Key candidates: Kepler-69c, Kepler-452b, Kepler-186f, Kepler-438b (Kepler Telescope); TRAPPIST-1e, Kepler-1649c (in habitable zones); plus Kepler-362c, Kepler-220e, Kepler-344c

Why it matters: clues to life’s origins, Earth's non-uniqueness, and the conditions that sustain life

Next: JWST will probe atmospheres for biosignatures like oxygen, methane, and water

These discoveries narrow the question: Is life unique to Earth, or is it widespread across the cosmos