Have you ever wanted to visit a habitable world in the milky way?
What about visiting a gas giant planet that exists right next to a star in the galaxy? If you have, then you’ve probably already spotted this intriguing fact: There are many habitable worlds that exist in the Milky Way Galaxy.
This discovery came as a surprise to researchers who were astounded by how similar these planets look to our own sun. They were also astonished by their surprisingly close similarities to the Earth and to other rocky terrestrial planets in our solar system. Now that astronomers have studied this phenomenon with more detail, they have deduced that there could be at least ten such habitable exotics out in the cosmos. In other words, there may be another planet beyond the “habitable zone” that is capable of supporting life.
The discovery was made possible through a study conducted by the European Southern Observatory, using the Very Large Telescope (VLIT). The study also involved the Herschel telescope. It was the outcome of a five year study period. During this study, the astronomers used space and ground technologies to detect small celestial bodies that could potentially be suitable places for having a life. Among these celestial bodies are several very small stars similar to our own sun.
The second study, researchers looked at over one hundred stars that are very similar to our own sun. And they discovered that all these stars had one thing in common: They were extremely hot, with temperatures that are extremely hot enough to allow water to exist. Furthermore, many of these planets were located relatively close to their stars. In fact, some of these planets may have been habitable in the past.
The third study, another team looked at over one hundred stars that are very similar to our own sun. However, they found that none of these planets have atmospheres similar to those of the gas giant planet, Jupiter. Furthermore, none of the planets were located very close to a gas giant. These findings suggest that these planets, if they did exist, would be very small. One of them might be so small that it would only be able to hold a single planet like Earth.
Finally, astronomer Konstantin Batygin of the Institute of Space Research in Russia believes that there is only a one possibility of having a habitable planet around a star like our own. If a gas giant planet like Jupiter is present, then the chances of two objects passing each other close to each other is very slim. Therefore, any such planet should be very far away. Even if it were to be in the same solar system as Earth, it would still be very far from the star.
All of the evidence points to the fact that there aren’t any planets within the solar system that are suitable for life. In fact, the only potentially habitable place that we know of is the moon. Astronomers believe that life began on the surface of the moon billions of years ago and has remained ever since. Perhaps a similar process happened on other planets, which eventually became the basis of our own planet. It’s also possible that water existed on some of the planets that are now known as gas giants. However, none of this water could remain liquid without giving off pressure.
So, we now know that there are no habitable terrestrial planets around stars that are similar to our own. But there are a couple of ways that astronomers could confirm the existence of these planets. They could use NASA’s orbiting satellites and they could use space-based telescopes. Either way, it appears that there may be a planet out there that is similar to our own and is a habitable planet.
Living On Mars? NASA Says Yes, But What If It Won’t Work?
Humans have been exploring the red planet of Mars since Viking days. While it’s the farthest of all planets in the outer solar system, humans managed to get to Mars within 40 years of manned spaceflight. Mars is an extremely harsh, unforgiving hostile environment and humans have yet to survive there. Will humans be able to survive on Mars? Will they be able to adapt and overcome? What are our current strategies to do so?
NASA has recently been conducting several experiments to see if humans can survive on Mars. One such experiment is known as the Mars Polar Lander. NASA’s space exploration program, like the space shuttle program, is responsible for many space missions to study and explore the unknowns of space. The polar rover will allow scientists to test out their theories about the possible living conditions on Mars.
The polar rover is part of the Sample Lander international space research project which was launched by NASA in November 1970. The name of this unit is taken from the fact that it was supposed to retrieve samples from the Martian surface. The lander became the first robot to land on the moon. It was so successful that NASA brought it back to earth to perform a controlled landing. Many scientists believe that it’s the only piece of equipment ever successfully retrieved from the moon.
The reason why NASA needs to study the possibilities of humans living on Mars is because of the evidence of past life on the planet. The Viking landers were also carrying out experiments to find out if there were organic molecules in Mars’ soil. These elements are a must if NASA wants to find evidence of past life on Mars. Without these tests, there is no way to prove or disprove the existence of organic molecules in Mars’ soil.
If humans do decide to live on Mars one day, there are several ways in which they can make their presence known. One way is to do it using the Viking Spacecraft. The craft was purposely placed on the surface of Mars, so that scientists could study the terrain below and determine if any water or other liquid was present. Some of the experiments carried out by the Viking space program showed that the surface of Mars contains abundant water, indicating that it did not once have oceans and therefore does not have to be terraforming like Earth.
Another way to tell whether or not humans will be able to survive on Mars is to study the effects that space debris has had on the planet. Comets sometimes come close to Mars and impact the planet, creating massive amounts of dust that the space dust travels through. This dust penetrates the atmosphere of Mars and collects at the base of some Martian mountain ranges. This has led to concerns that the presence of this layer of cosmic dust might impair the astronauts’ ability to go to space, but recent studies have shown that this is not the case.
Although no one has yet sent humans to explore the Mars region where samples of Mars dust have been found, the first mission to explore the Red Planet may very well be launched within the decade. NASA has already announced that it has selected two teams to build the first ever space telescope that will help us learn more about the red planet. In addition to looking for signs of water-based life forms, the telescope will also search for evidence of past or present human habitation. NASA says that the selected team will have around two years to complete the project and will start building the telescope in 2021. This project is called the Mars orbiter probe and will be launched as part of a larger space exploration effort that also includes the Mars Lander and a lander called MAAS; both of which are planned to arrive at Mars within the next decade.
If humans living on Mars do decide to settle there, they will most likely live in a lunar colony similar to those that were launched to the moon in the 1960s. The difference between the moon and Mars is that there are no surface winds on mars, so the colonies will only have one source of water. They may have some small lakes, though this would only be used for drinking and doing simple washing. NASA says that there is an adequate supply of water on the moon to allow astronauts to live comfortably, though future settlements will be much larger than those on the moon. Since humans will have to live inside the colony without any sort of external air, this will be a very difficult task indeed and will be fraught with problems of its own.
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.
