The question of when our sun will die has long been a mystery to those of us who appreciate its presence each and every day.
We’re all incredibly lucky that we can use it as an energy source to power our homes, cars, and other forms of modern living, but what’s the big deal if it’s not around to help save us from the impending destruction? Is there some big payoff in finding out exactly when it’s going to happen? Well, actually, there isn’t. But there are some very big clues in the data that the scientists have been able to decipher which give them a good estimate of what is going to happen.
For instance, look at the solar system. The sun is very much like our own solar system and so is really going through changes similar to our solar system. In fact, there are several major similarities. Just as we’re gradually evolving into a more populated world, the sun is changing. As it gets older, it’ll become redder, brighter, and it will start to make up its own cosmic radiation.
This means that the total amount of radiation coming off of it will rise. Just like our earth, it’ll get tired and overworked. In fact, it has already started to do so. The first signs of aging are visible, and over time, the process is going to accelerate. The effects of this phenomenon have already been measured in satellite images.
If you’re in the middle of the sun or very close to it, then you’ve seen these very signals. The reason they’re so pronounced is because of the very high temperatures that are required to keep the sun at its burning best. From the surface of the earth to about two hundred miles away, the surface area of the sun is coated in solar radiation. If you were standing directly under it, you would be looking directly at a dying star. If it’s closer than that, then you’ll be looking through a telescope.
The reason that we can observe this aging process is because the sun is going to go out in a few billions of years. By then, all of its radiation will have been focused on us. If you’ve ever gone to a beach and noticed that the sand is brown instead of white, that’s because the sun is dying. You should be able to see it in the sky too. The sun will slowly burn out until it completely dies out.
Since we can predict when it’s going to die out, we could use the information to figure out what the best time for us to colonize this planet would be. If we find that the life that we’re looking at on Mars is already there, then it might be a good idea to make these humans live their lives underground. It might be easier to do this if we had the technology to build huge air-spaces. But if we find that bacteria can survive in those conditions, then we might not have much of a problem.
This would mean that the surface of Mars will be too dry to support life, and therefore we would have no need to colonize it. The surface of Mars will actually hold four times more water than it does now, and it contains enough atmosphere to hold two or three times more than that. The planet may still have some ice, depending upon whether or not it freezes during another billion years. That means that methane could turn out to be a very important source of fuel for getting people on the planet that needs to travel long distances.
All of the evidence points to the fact that we are heading into a time when science has figured out all the answers about this planet. When it comes to answering how and when our sun will die, there are a lot of theories out there, and scientists just continue to figure them out. They have figured out the age of the planet, and they have figured out the interior structure of Mars, and they have even figured out what type of life might exist on the surface. If they don’t figure it out soon, though, there’s no telling how much we’ll still have to speculate as we go around our solar system for another million years.
Colonizing Other Planets and Colonizing the Moon First
The latest advancement in colonizing other planets and moons such as Jupiter and Saturn have to do with using technology to enable us to colonize other worlds. Some folks are proposing that we send robotic probes to the moon to scout out for resources and potential planets to colonize. Other folks have an idea that we could land on these other worlds and travel from one to another, establishing colonies there and then colonizing from there.
Will humans go to the next step and actually do it?
The latest in our effort to colonize the outer solar system and other habitable planets is the Space Launching System or SLS. This will be a large rocket, like a small but powerful cargo ship that will put astronauts to the moon and Mars. This is the same system that was used in the development of the Space Shuttle and the capsules that brought humans to the moon. There is a lot of talk in the scientific community about this latest plan.
Another interesting idea is to use our human minds to explore the outer space. The head of NASA and the author of a book on this subject recommends that we send a robotic probe to the moon to “test the water.” Will humanity take this step and colonize other planets and moons?
Is it possible to build habitats on planets beyond Earth’s atmosphere? Is it necessary for us to use technology that is similar to that required for colonizing another planet? Is it possible to make the retro-propulsion technique work for sending people to the moon and Mars?
These questions will be answered by NASA and some of the pioneers of the space race to discover other worlds. A new theory states that we can send robots into orbit around these planets and they can stay there to collect samples for future analysis. They can go into orbit around the gas giant planets like Jupiter and Saturn to collect gases and gather information about the atmospheres. The idea is if we have robots that can colonize another planet, we can send back samples for scientific study.
Many people are opposed to space travel and colonizing other planets. One reason is that they feel that it will be too dangerous and too harsh. However, others think that it will be the next step in humankind’s progression to the stars. If we can live on Mars and live in extreme climates on other planets, what would be so difficult? It could well be the greatest adventure of our time.
Many experts believe that there are several billion dollar industries in outer space right now that would grow right along with the development of new planets for human colonization. Some say that there is an abundant source of mineral materials on Mars, which could help in the colonizing efforts. We also know that water is a key requirement for any life form to survive, and water is very abundant on earth, why not try to use that as a tool for colonizing other planets?
In the mean time, if we are to colonize other planets and colonize the moon firs, then we are going to need a number of massive investments in order to do it properly. Some say that we should send robotic missions to the moon and Mars to test out the concept for space travel. If we can do it, and the results are successful, then maybe we could send two astronauts to each planet and live there for a year or more to collect samples, and then return them to Earth. If one of the astronauts weren’t able to make it back during the mission, at least there will be personal and official records. If it is successful, then we have accomplished the ultimate goal of space travel.
If we do colonize mars, and we find that life can survive there, and that it can flourish, then we will be onto a great adventure in the future as we learn more about the nature of other planets in the solar system and beyond. There has been a lot written about the ability of NASA to land an exploratory spacecraft on Mars, and live there for a year or longer. If we can do that, then we may have found another planet that we can colonize, and another step toward ultimate space travel.
Indeed, if we decide to colonize the earth, it will be an incredible event that will change not only our species but all civilizations which colonized the earth. Space travel and clinics will be essential to the human species. And this will bring benefits to humankind for generations to come. However, is colonizing other planets ethical after what has been done here on Earth?
Leave an answer in the comments section below!
Provided by Antonio Westley
Disclaimer: This article is meant to be seen as an overview of this subject and not a reflection of viewpoints or opinions as nothing is definitive. So, make sure to do your research and feel free to use this information at your own discretion.
