Fit for Earth-like planets - is it fantastic? Researchers suggest that those in the universe are not uncommon. Approximately around one of the five sun-like stars, in particular, observed from the astronomical satellite Kepler (NASA), there is a habitat zone - a supposed space territory, the planets of which could become habitable under certain circumstances. The temperature on their surface promotes the existence of water in the liquid phase (that is, it does not boil and does not turn into ice).
Among the sparkling placer of stars
Nearest planets suitable for life, perhaps the most alluring. A star to which we are "almost a stone's throw" (after Alpha Centauri) is located 12 light-years from Earth. She illuminates the exoplanet of Tau Ceti. For reference: 1 light year is 12 Earth calendar months. In terms of distance - 9,460,000 million kilometers. By universal standards - nothing special.
For earthlings this is a fantastic distance. They still have no opportunity to personally meet with representatives of the "far abroad". Although human beings have been staring at stars for thousands of years in a row. And, probably, they thought: “Are there places among this sparkling placer reminiscent of my land?”
In 1995, a planet suitable for life was first discovered. Most readers are hardly familiar with its name: PSR B1257 + 12 B, the star of Gamma Cepheus. After the opening, an unusual price list began to replenish quickly. Previously, when tracking planets, experts emphasized radial velocity (the projection of the speed of stars on the line of sight).
Climat is changing
Later, using instruments such as the Kepler telescope, they switched to studying the brightness variations of planets moving in orbits near their stars (“transit”). Repeated observations convinced researchers: these are indeed celestial bodies, not huge and cold dark spots.
New planets suitable for life began to be found when astronauts applied the method of statistical analysis. Work was underway with a huge amount of data. At a conference at NASA, it was said that hundreds of potentially habitable objects were discovered using the Kepler satellite. And this is not the limit!
Let’s try to figure out whether there really is life on the exoplanets discovered by modern researchers, or whether they only partially correspond to some criteria for habitability. Need a serious assessment. Make it difficult: the distances are huge and beyond the capabilities of modern science and technology.
No life without water
Why does a person look for suitable planets for life? For the sake of curiosity? Not. The climate on our unique, life-filled ball is changing. Mankind is haunted by heat, frost, floods, dust storms. All of this can end badly. Our confidence in the vitality of only one Earth causes not only joy, but also concern.
Political, financial, humanitarian, scientific reasons make us a biological species, extremely interested in the habitability of as many planets as possible. New planets suitable for human life will make it possible to understand the tendency of changes in terrestrial weather conditions, to determine the possibilities of survival in future climatic conditions. Decide what needs to be done in order to stop the deterioration of meteorological conditions, find out the reason for such a strong dependence on carbon.
Thus, livable planets will give people the opportunity to find cleaner sources of energy, stop worsening the climate in order to achieve financial benefits and comfort. Perhaps this will require new hardware platforms that will allow us to go on such long journeys.
Heat of Venus
Many people want to predict what feelings will embrace them when meeting with alien creatures, when they arrive on planets suitable for life. And so they are very interested in habitable zones (they are also called "Goldilocks"), where there are celestial bodies with a moderate average surface temperature. This allows water to be between the gaseous and solid state of aggregation (only then can you “cook the porridge of life").
Scientists have been searching for planets suitable for life for a long time and persistently. Yes, mankind hopes to find extraterrestrial reserves of fluid to use them for practical purposes. However, 2 is almost the main indicator of the existence of alien life in different galaxies and in the entire Universe. Although outside the Earth, living is problematic.
There are celestial bodies where it is hot as in the underworld. Under such conditions, some volumes of hydrogen and oxygen are produced. Oxygen combines with carbon to form carbon dioxide, and then hydrogen simply escapes into space. This happened to Venus.
Kingdom of the Snow Queen
There are planets where the Snow Queen is probably resting. It is always cold there, ponds are vast skating rinks. Under the ice cover deep lakes with flowing water can lurk, but all the same, these are unsuitable territories. This picture is observed on the kings of the cold Mars, Jupiter, Saturn.
Is their inclusion in planets suitable for human life permissible? No, here is a habitable zone in a rough dimension: a place where theoretically waves can “splash”. Unfortunately, not everything is solved by answering a simple equation with the distance to the star “in the numerator” and the amount of energy delivered “in the denominator”. The presence of the planet’s atmosphere is of great importance.
In fact, Venus and Mars "dwell" in our own solar system. But the dense Venusian atmosphere is saturated with carbon dioxide, which traps energy from the Sun and creates the adverse effect of a hot furnace that can destroy all life. What about Mars?
Mars Rink
In contrast to the hot symbol of love, on the warlike symbol of the masculine principle, the atmosphere is so thin that it does not pick up heat, so it is a frighteningly cold “bun”. If opposites have an earthly atmosphere (plus the presence of mountains with minerals) - they could be worlds that are quite suitable for the development and preservation of life.
If the antipodes “shared the excess”, it would be possible to soften the heat and melt the ice ... And we would get planets suitable for life. However, these are only fantasies. In discussing the possibility of the presence of other worlds in the Milky Way, we must understand that their presence in the inhabited zone does not change business if the shape and composition of the atmosphere of the planets are unfavorable.
They all revolve around stars called red dwarfs. Even if you imagine that celestial bodies are suitable for human life, it is not too inspiring to spend your life surrounded by landscapes in bloody colors. But most importantly: young dwarfs are extremely active. Huge solar flares and coronal mass ejections occur on them.
Active midgets
This inevitably has a detrimental effect on the life of any planets that are nearby, even if liquid water is present on them. The magnetic fields of such "raging suns" are so powerful that they can crush all "neighbors". But after several hundred million years of high activity, the red dwarfs calm down, and further stretch their fuel supply of hydrogen for about trillions of years.
If life lasts in the early stages of development, then it will have all the chances for a long existence next to calm down "midgets". And new planets suitable for human life (photo below) will decorate the Universe. Thus, in search of a new home among the stars or life in the Universe, we are aware that the inhabited zone is only an approximate guideline.
The coverage area of the Kepler spacecraft is 150,000 stars. Most are too bright to view them. But an employee of the California Technical Institute Petigura and his colleagues were able to study 42,000 "subsided" stars and concluded: 603 planets can be included in the number of candidates for habitability.
Seek and find
Living planets have different sizes. Ten of them in a radius of up to two times larger than the Earth. To compare the required radii, scientists used the Keck telescope mounted in Hawaii. Complex calculations were made, corrective amendments were made.
As a result, it turned out that about 22 percent of the sun-like stars have planetary satellites, reminiscent of the size of the Earth, they are potentially suitable for life. We list some of the exoplanets.
The Tau Kit E mentioned at the beginning was discovered in 2012. Located in the constellation Ceti. It is considered an unconfirmed candidate for inhabited space objects. The period of revolution of the planet around the star (sidereal period) is 168 earth days. The orbit is near the habitable zone. The surface temperature is on average 70 degrees Celsius (near the Earth - 15).
This “challenger”, located 473 light-years from Earth, is named Kepler 438b in the constellation Lyra. It belongs to the star Kepler 438, which is 4, 4 billion years older than the Sun. The hushed red dwarf does not shine too brightly, so it is not easy to see the situation carefully.
Gliese and others
Unconfirmed “Madame” Gliese 667C E also enters into livable planets. It revolves around a star from the constellation Scorpio - this is a whole system: red and two orange dwarfs. The age of an “honest company” is from 2 to 10 billion years. Located 22 light years from Earth. Year - 62 days (earth days).
Kepler186f “cuts ellipses” near a red dwarf in the constellation Cygnus, which is 561 light years old. His star is not as big and hot as the Sun. Year - 131 Earth days.
Kaptein B “spins” at the star from the constellation of the Painter. It is larger than the Sun - with a mass of 0.28 times and a radius of 0.29. The dwarf is about 8 billion years old, before him 13 light years. Kapteyn - an unproven exoplanet, the day on which lasts 48 Earth days. The radius is not calculated, five times heavier than the Earth.
Distant worlds await us!
Wolf 1061C refers to the luminary from the constellation Ophiuchus. It rotates with its star synchronously. Therefore, one side is always hot, the other cold. Before him, 14 light years. Perhaps this is a rocky planet. Surface temperature is suitable for the existence of liquid water. The force of gravity (gravity) is almost twice that of the earth.
This is not the whole list of promising puzzles! So “there are many of us in the Universe, and we are in vests!” That's just to prove it is difficult, but to personally get - even more so. But we know: there are planets suitable for human life!