Astronomers have discovered 7 earthlike planets orbiting a star 39 light years away according to a study published by the Journal Nature. A discovery like this is extremely rare because these planets are roughly earth size and temperate, which would allow water to be on their surfaces therefore could provide life.
"The discovery gives us a hint that finding a second Earth is not just a matter of if but when,” Thomas Kutcher, an Associate Administrator of the science mission directorate at NASA said.
The 7 planets were found in tight formation with each other around the star TRAPPIST-1, which sits about 39 light-years, or 235 trillion miles, from Earth. TRAPPIST-1 is a dwarf star that is much younger than our sun and should burn for an additional 10 trillion years — more than 700 times longer than the universe is believed to have been in existence. This should be enough time for life forms to evolve. But currently, as the star is relatively young, compared to our sun it is not expected that intellectual beings are on these planets.
“If you’re looking for complex biology — intelligent aliens that might take a long time to evolve from pond scum — older could be better. It seems a good bet that the majority of clever beings populating the universe look up to see a dim, reddish sun hanging in their sky. And at least they wouldn’t have to worry about sun block,” Dr. Shostak an astronomer at the SETI Institute said.
3 planets are in the habitable zone of the star and offer very promising features for a planet with life outside of the Earth. Researchers believe that the planet TRAPPIST-1F has the best chance for life forms even though it is a little cooler than our Earth. But the temperature could be manageable with the right atmosphere and the right amount of greenhouse gases.
At this point, this is all speculation because astronomers lack the necessary tools to be able to tell if these planets are really capable of carrying life. Astronomers are awaiting the launch of NASA's James Webb Space Telescope in 2018 to get a deeper look at the planet. Using it they will be able to examine atmospheric composition or the climate of the planets, among other things.
With this discovery there are some people who wonder why it took so long to find these planets.
“I think it’s a really cool discovery, but it’s kind of crazy that we haven't discovered the planets in all this time,” NHS sophomore Will Pelisson said.
This is why the astronomers are now putting more focus into finding additional earth like planets.
"With this amazing system, we know there must be many more potentially life-bearing worlds out there waiting to be found," Sara Seager, a professor of Planetary Science and Physics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology said.
Though, it is not conclusive if these planets are able to carry life it is still a very important discovery. By 2018, we may possibly solve one of the oldest questions in human existence-”Are we alone?”
Image Courtesy of NBC News