According to the NASA space agency, a potentially habitable exoplanet was recently discovered, resembling Earth in all respects. Many scientists immediately thought that the planet is most likely a haven for alien life.
The exciting discovery was made by University of British Columbia (UBC) student Michelle Kunimoto. She analyzed data collected by NASA's Kepler space probe. Between 2009 and 2018, the spacecraft scanned portions of the Milky Way for exoplanets that are at a habitable distance from their host stars.
Ph.D. candidate Michelle Kunimoto has identified 17 new planets originally discovered by Kepler, including one roughly the size of Earth. Here's what she reported in her research:
'This planet is about a thousand light-years away, so we won't get there anytime soon. But this is truly an exciting find, as there are currently only 15 potentially habitable planets discovered by the Kepler space telescope in the database so far.
An earth-like planet is only 1.5 times the size of our home world, presumably rocky, and located in the habitable zone. However, this is where the similarities end, as the planet orbits its star much closer than the Earth orbits the sun.
The planet orbits its star at a distance of about 0.444 astronomical units, or au. The astronomical unit is the average distance from the Earth to the Sun – about 149.6 million km.
The orbit is slightly larger than the path of Mercury around the Sun. At this distance from the star, one year on the planet lasts only about 142.2 days. The planet was officially named KIC-7340288 b, and its discovery was published in the Astronomical Journal.
Astronomers believe that the planets in the habitable zone will have the right conditions for liquid water to exist on the surface. Here's what NASA researchers report:
“We begin our search in a new land. On this planet, which is currently our only example for the potential existence of life, the need for water is non-negotiable. '
'Around almost every' normal 'star, including our Sun, we can draw a band of potential habitability: the right distance and temperature for liquid water to exist.'
However, scientists emphasize that the planet must also have the correct surface for water to exist. If there is a rocky planet in the habitable zone, it may have the necessary conditions for the development of life. However, if it is a gas giant like Saturn or Jupiter, then this planet is unlikely to become home to life, even if it is in the habitable zone.
