A group of astronomers led by Hillem Anglad-Escudé (Guillem Anglada-Escude) from Queen Mary University of London (Queen Mary, University of London) announced that she had discovered two planets at the star Kapteyn (Kapteyn). And on one of them is possible a life.
The discovery was made using the so-called “” High Precision planet finder “HARPS (High Accuracy Radial Velocity Planet Searcher) “- a spectrograph installed in European Southern Observatory (European Southern Observatory) in Chile. He’s looking for planets, determining anomalies in the motion of stars. If the star has satellites, then, spinning around, they affect it – make hesitate. A star changes speed. And these fluctuations accurately captures seeker.
A photo from open sources
The Kaptein star is noteworthy for swiftly rushing in the side opposite to that in which other stars move in our galaxy. Its mass is three times less than the sun. She is much dimmer – about 250 times. But it is quite close – only 12 light years from us. Someday it will be possible to fly.
The most amazing: Kapteyna’s star is much older than her neighbors. She is 11.5 billion years old. About the same discovered nearby planets. That is, this system is more than two times ancient solar. And astronomers believe she was born in another galaxy. But in the end, for some reason I ended up in the Milky Way, Yes, and next to the sun. Perhaps the star’s own galaxy Kaptein – presumably a dwarf – was once captured ours.
Studies have shown: one of the planets orbiting an alien star, located very far from her. And it’s cold there – like on our Neptune. The planet was named Kapteyn c. Determined that the year on it lasts 121 Earth days.
And here is another planet – Kapetyn b – located in the so-called habitability zone. That is, its orbit is such that the heat even a small star is enough to create on the planet comfortable conditions. And if there is water, then it is liquid.
A year on Kapetyn b lasts 48 days. The planet is more massive than the Earth about 5 times.
Amateur astronomers observe the Kaptein star in small telescopes in the constellation of the painter
A photo from open sources
Researchers who discovered the “old woman”, shocked by her age – more than 11 billion years. What excites their imagination.
– I can’t even imagine what form of life could appear and develop on such planets with such a huge time of their existence, says Anglada-Escudé.
That is, scientists do not exclude that Kapetyn b can be inhabited. And if so, then its inhabitants are simply old-timers of the Universe.
If old-timers are still alive, then they admire amazing Sunrises and sunsets. After all, their planet is so close to to his luminary – the red dwarf, that he – the dwarf – seems huge. The apparent diameter is 10 times that of the Sun.
Galaxy Life Sun
