Astronomers have found a habitable planet
What many have been waiting for has happened!
Astronomers first discovered the planet, which by its basic parameters is very similar to Earth and may contain water in liquid form on its surface, reports the BBC.
The planet is located in the constellation Libra at a distance of twenty and a half light years from Earth. This is the smallest exoplanet (i.e., a celestial body orbiting a star outside the solar system) of all known scientists. She turns around her fading sun, called Gliese 581, for 13 days.
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Gliese 581 is smaller and colder than our Sun, so the temperature on the planet roughly corresponds to that of the Earth. At the same time, it is 14 times closer to its star than the Earth to the Sun.
“We calculated that the average temperature on this“ super-earth ”is between 0 and 40 degrees Celsius, so the water can be liquid,” says one of the discoveries' authors, Stefan Oudry from the Geneva Observatory. “Moreover, its radius is approximately one and a half of the Earth’s radius, and based on modeling, we assume that the planet is either rocky, like the Earth, or it is covered by oceans.”
“Water in liquid form is the basis of life in forms we know of,” adds Javier Delfoss of the University of Grenoble. According to this expert, the discovered planet can be the goal of space expeditions to search for extraterrestrial life.
However, while it is not a question of sending spaceships to the constellation Libra. Scientists intend to put into space powerful telescopes that can capture light waves, indicating the presence of life. They will also look for methane in the atmosphere of the planet, as well as signs of chlorophyll, the key substance in photosynthesis.
“Of all the planets that we found near stars, only this one seems to have all the conditions for the emergence of life,” said BBC Alison Boyle from the London Science Museum. - It is located at a distance of 20 light years, so we are unlikely to fly there soon. But if new types of engines appear, this can change the future. ”
Taken from rbc.ru
Astronomers first discovered the planet, which by its basic parameters is very similar to Earth and may contain water in liquid form on its surface, reports the BBC.
The planet is located in the constellation Libra at a distance of twenty and a half light years from Earth. This is the smallest exoplanet (i.e., a celestial body orbiting a star outside the solar system) of all known scientists. She turns around her fading sun, called Gliese 581, for 13 days.
')
Gliese 581 is smaller and colder than our Sun, so the temperature on the planet roughly corresponds to that of the Earth. At the same time, it is 14 times closer to its star than the Earth to the Sun.
“We calculated that the average temperature on this“ super-earth ”is between 0 and 40 degrees Celsius, so the water can be liquid,” says one of the discoveries' authors, Stefan Oudry from the Geneva Observatory. “Moreover, its radius is approximately one and a half of the Earth’s radius, and based on modeling, we assume that the planet is either rocky, like the Earth, or it is covered by oceans.”
“Water in liquid form is the basis of life in forms we know of,” adds Javier Delfoss of the University of Grenoble. According to this expert, the discovered planet can be the goal of space expeditions to search for extraterrestrial life.
However, while it is not a question of sending spaceships to the constellation Libra. Scientists intend to put into space powerful telescopes that can capture light waves, indicating the presence of life. They will also look for methane in the atmosphere of the planet, as well as signs of chlorophyll, the key substance in photosynthesis.
“Of all the planets that we found near stars, only this one seems to have all the conditions for the emergence of life,” said BBC Alison Boyle from the London Science Museum. - It is located at a distance of 20 light years, so we are unlikely to fly there soon. But if new types of engines appear, this can change the future. ”
Taken from rbc.ru
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/7490/
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