GLOBAL. Our wonderful world possesses a unique set of characteristics that is sustainable for life. The Earth has luscious green land and blue waters that are unavailable, thus far, anywhere else in this universe. The Earth’s evolution has led to not only the formation of complex life, but also the formation and sustenance of natural life. Given its distance from the sun, stable atmosphere and possession of water and light, until recently, Earth was unlike any other planet or celestial body that scientists had ever observed.
Scientists at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration‘s (NASA) Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) found a planet that may possess features similar to the Earth. Named Kepler-186f, this planet, which is located 490 light-years away, is the size of the Earth and a habitable distance away from a star. So far, discovered planets have provided the potential of water, but have not possessed a size and distance from the sun similar to that of the Earth. These differences have made it unlikely that humanoid-like life exists on these planets. Celestial bodies like Kepler-186f leave us hopeful that other planets like the Earth are present within the vast universe.
The exoplanet (defined as any planet that orbits a star besides our own sun) Kepler-186f is estimated to be slightly larger than earth—around 10% greater. Scientists are particularly interested in it because this planet revolves in the so-called “habitable zone,” a range of distances in which water can still exist on a planet. Out of the hundreds of planets that numerous NASA telescopes have detected, only a handful are even in this zone.
Habitable zones themselves do not indicate a specific region where life can exist, but provide a nice criterion to narrow our extraterrestrial searches due to the likely presence of liquid water. Despite knowing this and the size of the planet, scientists are still unsure about its mass and composition. Astronomers at NASA have speculated that the body is very rocky. However, this information is not confirmed. Furthermore, there is no atmospheric data present regarding the new planet.
Kepler-186f functions within the galaxy Kepler-186, which has five planets orbiting a star that is half the size and mass of our Sun. The 130 day orbit of Kepler-186f is put on the edge of the habitable zone. All of these unknowns still require ample time and analysis; however, this planet is categorized as an Earth-cousin rather than a twin. This implies that while it might be habitable, it is not ideal for human-like life.
Future work has attempted to continue exploring other avenues of Earth-like twins, which are Earth-sized planets that sustain a similar distance and atmosphere as the one here. Likewise, the Kepler Space Telescope will also try to target more stars and planets to be able to measure chemical composition.
Whether life exists afar or not, these extraterrestrial discoveries are important. As beautiful as our Mother Earth is, it is increasingly becoming a reality that another just as majestic planet is surviving and thriving with life. With the large boost in technology, it may not be too long before an unidentified flying object actually turns into an identified flying object.
GLOBAL. Our wonderful world possesses a unique set of characteristics that is sustainable for life. The Earth has luscious green land and blue waters that are unavailable, thus far, anywhere else in this universe. The Earth’s evolution has led to not only the formation of complex life, but also the formation and sustenance of natural life. Given its distance from the sun, stable atmosphere and possession of water and light, until recently, Earth was unlike any other planet or celestial body that scientists had ever observed.
Scientists at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration‘s (NASA) Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) found a planet that may possess features similar to the Earth. Named Kepler-186f, this planet, which is located 490 light-years away, is the size of the Earth and a habitable distance away from a star. So far, discovered planets have provided the potential of water, but have not possessed a size and distance from the sun similar to that of the Earth. These differences have made it unlikely that humanoid-like life exists on these planets. Celestial bodies like Kepler-186f leave us hopeful that other planets like the Earth are present within the vast universe.
The exoplanet (defined as any planet that orbits a star besides our own sun) Kepler-186f is estimated to be slightly larger than earth—around 10% greater. Scientists are particularly interested in it because this planet revolves in the so-called “habitable zone,” a range of distances in which water can still exist on a planet. Out of the hundreds of planets that numerous NASA telescopes have detected, only a handful are even in this zone.
Habitable zones themselves do not indicate a specific region where life can exist, but provide a nice criterion to narrow our extraterrestrial searches due to the likely presence of liquid water. Despite knowing this and the size of the planet, scientists are still unsure about its mass and composition. Astronomers at NASA have speculated that the body is very rocky. However, this information is not confirmed. Furthermore, there is no atmospheric data present regarding the new planet.
Kepler-186f functions within the galaxy Kepler-186, which has five planets orbiting a star that is half the size and mass of our Sun. The 130 day orbit of Kepler-186f is put on the edge of the habitable zone. All of these unknowns still require ample time and analysis; however, this planet is categorized as an Earth-cousin rather than a twin. This implies that while it might be habitable, it is not ideal for human-like life.
Future work has attempted to continue exploring other avenues of Earth-like twins, which are Earth-sized planets that sustain a similar distance and atmosphere as the one here. Likewise, the Kepler Space Telescope will also try to target more stars and planets to be able to measure chemical composition.
Whether life exists afar or not, these extraterrestrial discoveries are important. As beautiful as our Mother Earth is, it is increasingly becoming a reality that another just as majestic planet is surviving and thriving with life. With the large boost in technology, it may not be too long before an unidentified flying object actually turns into an identified flying object.