From a real life Waterworld to a place that could be our new home, today we look at “EARTH LIKE PLANETS Recently Discovered”: 11.
Kepler-438b
This planet is located in the Lyra constellation, which is about 470 light-years away from Earth.
Kepler-438b was confirmed by NASA a little over three years ago.
It circles a red dwarf star, called Kepler-438, which is much smaller and cooler than our
Sun, which is a yellow dwarf.
This planet is most likely rocky and is approximately the same size as Earth regarding radius and
mass.
Its years are far shorter than ours as one rotation around its parent star takes it a
little over 35 days.
Plus, it has a great chance of being tidally locked, meaning only one side of Kepler-438b
ever faces the red dwarf.
Although it is within its system’s liveable zone, extreme radiation occurs every 100 days
with more severe solar flares coming from its parent star, making life on the planet
unlikely.
10.
Kepler-22b
This extrasolar planet is located in the Cygnus constellation about 638 light-years away from
Earth.
It is about two times the size of our planet; however, its mass is unknown as well as what
makes up its surface.
It takes approximately 290 days to rotate around its parent star, but not much else
is known about its orbit.
But, due to Kepler-22b’s distance from Kepler-22, as well as the star’s lesser luminosity,
it is most likely that the planet has a moderate temperature; therefore, severe greenhouse
heating is less likely to occur.
9.
Tau Ceti e
Tau Ceti is a star located in the Cetus constellation that is akin to our Sun.
It is approximately 12 light-years away from our solar system, so it is closer than many
other stars.
Although unconfirmed, Tau Ceti e is a planet that orbits this star along with three others.
There isn’t much known about this planet besides its mass and orbit; it takes 168 days
to complete its rotation and could be about four times the mass of Earth.
So, if the calculations are correct, then it is similar to the size of our planet.
However, nothing is known about Tau Ceti e’s atmosphere, and therefore, scientists are
unable to tell whether or not it would be able to host life.
8.
HD 85512 b
This extrasolar planet is located in the Vela constellation, about 36 light-years away from
Earth.
It is terrestrial and only about 3.6 times our planet’s mass.
However, it is located a tiny bit outside of the livable area.
It used to be considered one of the best contenders for hosting life regarding its Earth-like
atmosphere.
Temperatures near the top of its atmosphere are about 76-degrees Fahrenheit; but, its
surface temperature remains unknown.
Since new studies came out, scientists noted that its proximity to the parent star would
most likely make the planet too hot to inhabit; it would exhibit a runaway greenhouse effect
similar to that of the previously-discussed Kepler-69c.
Plus, HD 85512 b could be tidally locked considering its short orbital period of 54 days.
7.
Kepler-186f
This exoplanet is located in the Cygnus constellation, approximately 550 light-years away from Earth.
It is the first one ever discovered to have a radius close to that of Earth’s and be
within the livable area of a star besides the Sun!
Although it is similar in size, it is still between one and two times as large as Earth.
However, the type of this planet is unknown; it could be rocky or even an ocean planet.
Kepler-186f takes about 130 days to make a rotation around its parent star, and its position
within its solar system is akin to that of Mars.
Even though its location lies within the habitable field, it doesn’t mean that the planet would
be able to support life because Kepler-186f’s atmospheric traits remain unknown.
6.
Kepler-452b
This extrasolar planet is located about 1,400 light-years away from Earth and orbits the
star Kepler-452, which is similar to our Sun.
Its mass is most likely around five times our planet’s; so, its gravity is approximately
twice as strong as Earth’s as well.
Assuming that the planet is telluric, Kepler-452b would be considered a super-Earth.
It would have rocky land formations, numerous active volcanoes because of its density and
mass, and its sky would be thick with clouds.
It takes 385 days to make a rotation around its parent star, which is only 20 days more
than that of Earth.
Plus, this planet is located within its solar system’s liveable area; although its equilibrium
temperature is a bit hotter than Earth’s.
Even though Kepler-452b’s environment could be habitable, there is no real way to tell
with the technology we currently have.
Plus, even if a spacecraft were traveling at 37,000 miles per hour to get there, it
would still take about 26 million years.
5.
Proxima Centauri b
This exoplanet is located in the Centaurus constellation about 4.2 light-years away from
Earth; it is the closest planet to be discovered outside our Solar System.
It only takes 11.2 days to complete a rotation around its parent star; so, years are extremely
short.
Its mass is larger than that of Earth and whether or not it is habitable hasn’t yet
been determined.
It was only discovered two years ago, but will hopefully soon be a contender for robot
exploration… although, it doesn’t seem like it’ll happen within this century.
However, its livability is unlikely because the planet experiences 2,000 times stronger
stellar winds than the Earth does.
But, the good news is that Proxima b is within its solar system’s habitable zone; so, water
could exist on its surface.
To discover if this planet could, in actuality, support life, more research concerning its
atmospheric properties, how its parent star effects it, and whether or not it is tidally
locked would have to be completed.
4.
Gliese 667 Cc
This extrasolar planet is located within the livable area of Gliese 667 C, a red dwarf
star.
It is 23.62 light-years away from Earth in the Scorpius constellation.
This planet is classified as a super-Earth because its radius and mass are much larger
than that of our planet.
Gliese 667 Cc also absorbs slightly more electromagnetic radiation than Earth, meaning it gets hotter
than Earth.
However, its heat doesn’t take it out of the habitable zone of its solar system.
As of early last year, this planet is also considered to be third regarding Earth-like
extrasolar planets.
But, this Gliese 667 Cc is also most likely tidally locked; so, if life were to inhabit
this planet, it would have to stay within the twilight zone.
No, we’re not talking about the show.
The twilight zone, or terminator zone, is a line that moves during rotation while dividing
the dark and daylit hemispheres of a planet.
However, research notes that if the planet’s atmosphere is thick enough, it could move
heat from the light side of the planet to the eternally dark side, thus extending the
habitable area.
3.
Kepler-62f
This exoplanet is also classified as a super-Earth and is located in the Lyra constellation.
It is approximately 990 light-years away from Earth.
This planet takes about 267 days to complete a rotation around its parent star.
Because of its radius and mass, it is most likely a terrestrial planet but could be an
ocean planet as well; the truth is not yet known.
Another option is that, if it is an ocean planet, its distance from its star could mean
that it is completely covered in ice due to the lack of carbon dioxide.
Its tilt on its axis, as well as its orbit, is thought to be similar to Earth’s, which
would contribute to its livability if proven correct.
Researchers have gathered information on Kepler-62f that point to it being one of the best contenders
for habitability; and in June of this year, further studies suggested that it might even
exhibit a climate and seasons akin to that of our planet.
2.
Gliese 581g
Also known as Zarmina, this extrasolar planet is noted to be within the Libra constellation
about 20 light-years away from Earth; however, it remains unconfirmed and is often a source
of controversy.
Proof of its existence has gone back and forth since its supposed discovery in 2010.
According to later studies, the planet would take about 32 days to make a rotation around
the sun; therefore, it is thought to be tidally locked.
Gliese 581g is said to be within the livable area of its solar system.
Without knowing the atmosphere characteristics… and whether or not the planet indeed exists…
it’s impossible to say if life could survive on this planet; but, there are astronomers,
like Steven S. Vogt, that say it is more than likely that life already exists on Gliese
581g.
1.
Kepler-62e
This exoplanet is classified as super-Earth and is located in the Lyra constellation,
approximately 990 light-years away from Earth.
It is within its parent star’s liveable area and takes about 122 days to make a full
rotation around it.
Kepler-62e is about 60 percent larger than our planet and gets approximately 20 percent
more light from its star than Earth receives from the Sun.
The exact type of this planet is unknown; however, it is possible that Kepler-62e is
a terrestrial planet and could be home to a considerable amount of water.
There is also a chance, considering its radius, that it could be gaseous and more similar
to Neptune.
Plus, it receives more energy from its parent star, which could result in a runaway greenhouse
effect, diminishing its livability.