Scientists: Water planets can host life

25. 01. 2021
6th international conference of exopolitics, history and spirituality

Exo planets immersed under water could keep their lives alive despite being not ideal clones Země, researchers say.

American scientists have questioned the idea that extraterrestrial life can only develop on exoplanets that almost resemble Earth. An article published in Astronomical Journal claims that the ocean worlds are much more hospitable to lifethan originally expected. In this article, written by Edwin Kite of the University of Chicago and Eric Ford of the State University of Pennsylvania, it is argued that water planets could just hit the black.

Until now, scientists have generally assumed that the water world can not support adequate cycling of gases and minerals that stabilize the climate - much like Earth.

Scientists are looking for Earth-like planets

But two researchers have done thousands of simulations to find that perhaps this is not just about the case of exoplanets orbit-like stars.

Professor Kite said:

"It really discourages the idea that you need a clone of Earth - a planet with some land and a shallow ocean."

Life takes an incredibly long time to develop and evolve. This makes habitable exoplanets appear. This is because, over time, light and heat on planets change when their stars age and therefore scientists are looking for planets similar to Earth.

The cycle on the planet

These terrestrial clones have a suitable mix of water and soil that keeps the planet's climate in the current state. The Earth is a good example of how this geographical balance keeps the climate naturally stable. For an unbelievably long period of time, the planet will pull greenhouse gases into minerals to cool down. Then it releases them back into the atmosphere through eruptions of the volcano and reheats. This cycle, however, can not occur in water worlds where most of the surface is covered with water.

After performing simulations of randomly generated planets, Dr. Kite and Dr. Ford, the climate of many water worlds remained relatively stable for billions of years.

Professor Kite said:

"It was a surprise that many of them remained stable for more than a billion years, thanks to this withdrawal. Our best estimate is that on the order of 10 percent of the original amount. The luck for several planets was that they were all in the right position around the stars and were rich in carbon. ”

Life in the Universe: Simulations show that huge oceans can cycle through greenhouse gases to stabilize the climate (image: GETTY)

Kepler-62e and Kepler-62f

This suggests that water worlds have a way to recycle carbon between the atmosphere and the oceans. This enables them to maintain stable conditions for all their lives.

Two such planets were discovered by a powerful NASA space telescope in April 2013. These water exoplanets have been nicknamed Kepler-62e and Kepler-62f. At that time, the US space agency promoted both planets as two of the most promising alien worlds where life might exist.

Bill Borucki of the NASA Ames Research Center (NASA Ames Research Center) said at a press conference:

"Look at our own ocean. He is absolutely full of life. We think he could actually start life here. Life on these aquatic worlds could even have evolved beyond purely aquatic animals such as fish. We have fish in our ocean. And they fly to get out of the reach of predators. So we might find that they have evolved into birds over time. ”

Tips from the Sueneé Universe e-shop

Jorge Cham, Daniel Whiteson: What We Fart We Know - WE RECOMMEND!

Why does the universe have a maximum allowed speed? What is dark matter and why doesn't it notice us? You will find the answers to these and many other questions in this book. This richly illustrated introduction to the greatest mysteries in the world of physics also sheds light on the various intricacies we already know quite a bit about, from quarks to gravitational waves to exploding black holes. Cham and Whiteson, with a balanced dose of humor and information, show that the universe is a large unexplored territory still waiting for its discoverers.

"This clever book reveals how little we really know about the universe, and complements it with imaginative explanations of what we've already learned."

- Carlo Rovelli, author of Seven Short Lectures on Physics

Jorge Cham, Daniel Whiteson: What We Fart We Know About

Similar articles