Possibly Habitable Exoplanets Found Circling a Nearby Star; May Possess Atmospheres Similar to that of Earth
Studies show they possess atmospheres similar to that of Earth
Just recently, new studies about exoplanets have been made, some of them concerning three planets two of which have been proven to be more habitable than the rest.
The two exoplanets, namely TRAPPIST-1b and TRAPPIST-1c, were found circling TRAPPIST-1, an ultracool dwarf star found approximately 40 light-years away in the constellation Aquarius.
While scientists cannot vouch that they have enough information to confirm whether the planets are habitable or not, they have gathered enough data to share with the public and make the knowledge known.
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OUT OF THIS WORLD
Using NASA's Hubble Space Telescope to push through with the first atmospheric study of Earth-sized exoplanets, astronomers managed to gather data that suggest that they could very well be habitable for they're likely to be rocky worlds, the planet type that can actually sustain life, TechCrunch says.
Earth's rocky atmosphere is a sign of its being ability to host living things and sustain life on the plane
Studies show that TRAPPIST-1b and TRAPPIST-1c' atmospheres are compact, similar to the life-sustaining rocky worlds that inhabit the inner solar system.
Data also show that they are likewise unlikely to possess the light, large, and puffy traits donned by gaseous planets' atmospheres in the outer solar system.
TechCrunch also shares that the astronomers found in the planets' atmospheres low concentrations of hydrogen and helium which checks another box in the 'habitable planet list'.
Scientists strive to dig deeper and gather more data concerning the precise chemical structure of their atmospheres, surface pressure, and range of temperatures found on the planets.
EARTH'S POSSIBLE SIBLINGS
According to HNGN, a recent study proved that near Earth, a star system sported that out of three potentially habitable plants, two seemed to be more habitable than previously thought.
Discovered in May 2016 were three earth-sized planets orbiting the dwarf star TRAPPIST-1, approx. 40 light years away, all of them in the "not-too-hot-nor-too-cold habitable zone" wherein life can survive.
While uncannily similar to Earth, they might not be an exact replica of it.
Julien de Wit of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology explains that they could be like Earth, Mars, or like Venus, with an carbon dioxide-dominated atmosphere and high-altitude clouds.
He also shared that while they learn more about the universe using Hubble, they can find out not only what kind of atmospheres TRAPPIST-1's exoplanets' have, but also what lie within those.
SCIENCE IN THE WORKS
The recent scientific findings above do not go unnoticed by science fiction fans and/or science enthusiasts, in general.
"Sometime in the near future, people will be able to point to a star and say, 'that star has a planet like Earth'," said Sara Seager, professor of planetary science and physics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Massachusetts in a report by NASA.
NASA's technology has been improving and improving through the years, which can be seen by looking back at their previous studies which were mere ground-based observations.
Now making use of space-based assets like the Hubble Space Telescope, the Spitzer Space Telescope, and the Kepler Space Telescope, they manage to find out more about the universe each and every day.
"This technology we are using to explore exoplanets is real," stated astronaut and associate administrator for NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington, "The James Webb Space Telescope and the next advances are happening now. These are not dreams -- this is what we do at NASA."
Hand-in-hand with NASA's improvements is mankind's continuous thirst to study the world around him.
With more time and more effort on the part of the scientific community, more scientific breakthroughs will make themselves known.
