Numerous Super Habitable Planets Identified

In News

A team of scientists identified 24 super habitable planets, some with conditions for life better than Earth.

In-Detail

  • Scientists from Washington University identified two dozen planets outside the solar system that may have conditions more suitable for life than the Earth.
  • They have the characteristics of potential super habitable planets.
  • The characteristics include being older, larger, slightly warmer, and possibly wetter than the Earth.
  • The discovery of these exoplanets signify that life is possible beyond earth and could thrive on planets that circle gradually changing stars with longer life spans than the Sun.
  • The super habitable planets are located more than 100 light years away.
  • Future observation efforts like NASA’s James Web Space Telescope, the LUVIOR space observatory and the European Space Agency’s PLATO Space Telescope will benefit from the discovery.
  • Researchers identified super habitability criteria and searched among 4500 for a good one.
  • Scientists selected planet-star systems that are possibly terrestrial planets that are orbiting within the host star’s liquid water habitable zone.
  • They form the Kepler Object of Interest Exoplanet Archive of transiting exoplanets.
  • Scientists observed systems with K dwarf stars while observing systems with cooler G stars.
  • These systems are cooler, less massive and less luminous than the sun.
  • The super habitable systems have long lifespans of 20 billion to 70 billion years.

Super Habitability Criteria

  • Scientists say that to be habitable the planet should not be old as old planets areless habitable. They would have exhausted their geothermal heat and would have no protective geomagnetic fields.
  • A super habitable planet will have more habitable land than earth, longer radioactive decay and stronger gravity so that the planet can retain its atmosphere for a long period of time.
  • Scientists say that slightly warmer temperature, a mean surface temperature of about 5 degree Celsius greater than Earth along with the little moisture would be better for life.
  • But scientists have identified that only one out of the 24 planets exhibited four of the critical parameters while the rest do not meet the criteria.
  • The star of this planet is named KOI 5715.01.
  • It is 3000 light years away from earth. This star is estimated to be 5.5 billion years old or one billion year older than our sun.
  • Our sun is estimate to be less than 10 billion years old.
  • KOI 5715.01 has 76% the mass of our sun, 77% its radius and 34% its light.
  • Researchers say that this makes it much more comfortable for life than our home planet.

About Classic IAS Academy 532 Articles
Classic IAS Academy is at the forefront of providing best IAS coaching in delhi, India. The Academy helps the aspirants to tap their innate analytical power to become successful in the exam.

Be the first to comment

Leave a Reply