There are a lot of questions about space, and the universe at large, and one of the
biggest is, "Are there Earth-Like planets near us?"
Join us as we show you some recently discovered Earth-like planets in the universe.
10.
Why Do We Want To Find More "Earths"?
If we're being honest right now, humanity has a pretty sweet deal in regards to the
planet that we live on.
Currently, Earth is the only known planet that has life on it, to the extent that while
it is possible (and even likely) that there is other life out there...we don't know where.
Or even what it would look like.
Earth as a whole is a one-of-a-kind planet, and that's because the "kind" of planets that
it is...is life supporting.
But, while we've been enjoying our run over the course of tens of thousands of years (and
millions of years in regards to life in general), there is a fundamental problem that bugs us.
Mainly, we know that the Earth won't last forever.
What's worse, the Earth right now isn't in the best of shapes.
Because of greenhouse gases, the planet is going through global warming, slowly raising
the temperature of the Earth, and through that, melting a lot of the ice on the planet.
Humanity is also going through trees at an incredible rate.
We aren't in danger of losing all our Oxygen just yet, but it is a legitimate fear.
So why are we trying to find more Earths?
Because if there is a planet out there that we can call similar enough to our own (it's
very unlikely that there is "another" Earth in terms of an exact copy), we can try and
colonize it.
Now, yes, that would imply that we have the ability to do certain things...including travel
through space at an increased rate like Star Wars or Star Trek, but this is most definitely
a matter of baby steps.
Because we can travel, we should know where we're traveling too.
Right?
Plus, even if we didn't do it for a colonization matter, it's important to know what's out
there in space, because humanity likes to dream big, and we want to explore the universe
and see if there are other Earths out there whether in part or in whole.
So that's why so many scientists at NASA and other science foundations are trying to figure
out this question.
And they've had some interesting results so far that gives humanity hope.
9.
Kepler-438B In terms of hope, it's unlikely at present
that Kepler-438B would be a planet we would reach in the near future.
Because this planet (discovered in 2015) is actually 470 light years from Earth.
That being said, it might just be the planet we need right now, as it's been deemed one
of the most Earth-like planets in the entire universe.
How exactly do you measure that?
Well believe it or not, there's an "Earth Similarity Index", and Kepler-438B ranks pretty
highly on it apparently.
In fact, it has an 88% similarity of Earth.
That's REALLY high, and so many are hoping to learn more about this planet because it
could be one that is supporting life right now.
Then again, even though it's a 12% difference, that could be all it takes to make it vastly
different from Earth as a whole.
But, we do know that part of that percent difference is due to the size.
Kepler-438B is actually 12% bigger than our Earth.
Which actually isn't too bad when you think about it.
However, some bad things that do need to be pointed out is that it actually gets 40% more
light than Earth.
Too much light can cause problems for both people, animals and planets.
Oh, and it doesn't exactly have an atmosphere, which is REALLY bad, because that's what keeps
all the gasses in and helps us breathe.
Not to mention, the sun around Kepler-438B has some pretty bad solar flares.
All in all, that 12% really adds up, huh?
8.
Kepler-452B What's with all the Keplers?
Ok, that's not really a question I was just curious after having two of these back to
back.
This planet was also discovered in 2015 (in July to be specific), and upon observing the
planet, the people who found it decided to name it "Super Earth".
And they don't just mean that because it's got superpowers or anything, but rather, Kepler-452B
is actually 5 times the size of our Earth.
That's massive.
But ironically, in terms of the orbit it has around its sun, it's not that far off.
It does it in 385 days compared to our 365.
That's basically just another month, which wouldn't be too bad.
Sadly, the other aspects of Kepler-452B are bad.
In space, size really does matter.
Our planet is perfect in many aspects in regards to size, and that includes how big its gravity
is.
Kepler-452B has gravity twice the size of Earth, and because of its ability to absorb
more sunlight via its star, the planet is actually much hotter than our Earth is.
Naturally, this would make habitation much harder.
Not impossible for the record, but harder.
Oh, and then there's the fact that this planet is 45,000 light years away.
Which means lightspeed travel would be needed in bulk for us to get there.
Warp 9, Mr. Crusher!
Engage!
Before we continue at warp speed, be sure to subscribe to the channel so you don't miss
our weekly videos!
7.
The Teegarden Twins What's that?
You want to see some Earth-like planets that are actually closer to Earth in some respects?
Ok, science can give you that!
Very recently (like found in 2019 recently), observers from CARMENES (who are a team looking
for Class-M planets for us to habitate) found two Earth-like planets just 12.5 lightyears
from us!
Granted, that's still pretty far, but 12 lightyears is much closer than the 45,000 of the last
entry, don't you think?
Not to mention, these two planets feel like ones that could have both the necessary water
and land for us to live on: "The two planets resemble the inner planets
of our solar system," lead author Mathias Zechmeister, a research scientist at the Institute
for Astrophysics at the University of Göttingen in Germany, said in a statement.
"They are only slightly heavier than Earth and are located in the so-called habitable
zone, where water can be present in liquid form."
Research has obviously just begun on these two stars, but there is hope that they could
be the real deal.
For example, usually the fact that this is a red dwarf star (called Teegarden) would
be a red-flag, as they don't produce as much heat and light.
But, the two planets are actually closer to the sun, so that actually would work in our
favor.
The only truly "weird" thing about these planets is the orbits around their sun.
It takes them between 1-2 weeks to do it, even less than that in fact.
That's massively quick.
But, if you think about it, time is only a construct, so what would really matter is
how those quick orbits help or hinder the landscape.
Even if these two twins aren't perfectly suitable, the team at CARMENES are hopeful that other
Earth-like planets could be as close as they are, and possibly in the same system as them.
6.
Kepler-186f Another Kepler planet, this one was actually
the first planet to be defined as Earth-like because it lived in the "habitable zone" of
a star.
What does that mean?
Well, depending on the planets position to the star, it can either be too hot to have
things like water, or, the water on the planet will naturally freeze because of the conditions.
Kepler-186f was the first to be noted for having a position in which liquid water could
be found.
In terms of size, the planet is only about 10% larger than Earth.
In contrast, its sun is actually smaller and cooler than our own, which is an interesting
mix when you think about it.
The orbit it takes is much shorter than our own, only about 130 days.
If you're wondering about distance from Earth, Kepler-186f can be found about 500 light years
from Earth, and is actually within the constellation known as Signus.
While scientists were thrilled to find a "validated" planet within the "habitable zone", they also
knew that there was still a while to go before finding a true "Earth twin".
One scientist from NASA noted that it's more like an "Earth Cousin".
Which is still progress, and in science, progress is important.
5.
Barnard’s Star b Found in 2018, and located a mere 6 light
years away from Earth (that's really close for the record), Barnard’s Star b is the
2nd-closest exoplanet to Earth right now.
But, like many planets, there is already some problems being noted by scientists.
First off, the mass.
The size and mass of Barnard’s Star b is actually 2.3 times more than Earth, and as
noted, that could have a huge impact on the gravity of the planet.
Plus, the planet is orbiting a red dwarf star, and its distance ensures that the planet doesn't
get a lot of sunlight.
Which is sad, because its orbit of about 233 is actually really appealing.
It's interesting to note that it took them this long to find the planet it despite it
being so close to Earth (and us having found planets MUCH farther away).
It actually took a wide array of telescopes and organizations to find it.
Which does raise an interesting question.
If we just found this Earth-like planet in 2018, and it's really close to Earth, are
there others out there just waiting to be discovered within the same range?
4.
Proxima-B Remember when I said that barnard's Star B
was the 2nd-closest exoplanet to Earth?
Well, here's No.1 Proxima-B is only 4.2 light years away from Earth, and it was found in
2016.
Like many planets I've noted here, Proxima-B orbits a red dwarf star, however, unlike many
other planets, this one has been confirmed to not just be in the Habitable Zone of the
star, but also, to have the actual presence of water.
Which is huge in the long-term.
But, sadly, the planet has a ton of downsides.
Including the fact that its orbit around the sun is only 11 days, that's a very quick year.
And the biggest downfall of all is that the red dwarf star only emits about 2% to the
planet.
Which means the planet on the surface is basically going to be dark all the time, and while there
is water, plant life isn't likely to exist.
Oh, and as if that wasn't enough, the stellar winds on Proxima-B is actually 2000 times
greater than our Earths.
So all in all, it's another swing and a miss.
But still a planet to keep an eyeball on.
3.
Kepler-62F Oh yeah, another Kepler planet, but also another
"Super Earth", and was discovered in April of 2013.
One of the biggest differences between Kepler-62F and other planets on this list is its star.
Because the star that the planet orbits is actually 7 billion years old.
In terms of star life, that's pretty long.
Back to the planet, Kepler-62F is only 1.4 times the size of Earth.
Which is actually great, because gravity wouldn't be that much different, and certain features
could potentially be the same.
Emphasis on "potentially".
Sadly, while the star of Kepler-62F is old, it doesn't emit the same light and heat, so
that actually makes Kepler-62F a bit of a water world.
More accurately though, it's one made of ice in many parts.
This is due to the fact that Kepler-62F is tidally locked with its star.
Meaning that one side faces the sun all the time, while the other doesn't face it at all.
Still, scientists believe it could support life.
But given the planets nature, it would likely be localized to certain areas of the world.
2.
Kepler-22b Found 600 light years from Earth, Kepler-22b
is within the Habitable Zone of its star.
As well as being twice the size of Earth, the yearly rotation is somewhat similar to
our own at about 292 days.
Now, temperature wise, the planet actually isn't too bad.
The best readings state that at its worst it may only get down to 11 degrees Fahrenheit,
and at its best, it'll be around 71 degrees Fahrenheit.
Which means the planet doesn't get immensely hot, but also not too cold.
The catch though (why is there always a catch?) is that the outer layer of the planet is believed
to either be all water, or all gas.
It's unclear how this could affect humanity, but it is something to note.
Still, this is considered one of the best Earth-like planets that we know of right now,
and some are even stating that should Earth evacuate, we'd be going to it over other possible
contenders.
1.
So Where Does This Leave Us?
So, you've seen a bunch of planets that COULD sustain life and MIGHT be possible Earth-like
contenders should humanity embrace the stars.
However, just about every single one of them has flaws or caveats that could hurt a colonization
effort.
Because of that, you're likely asking, "What are the chances that we find another true
Earth?"
Well, the odds aren't impossible, but as you can see, finding a planet that suits our specific
needs is actually incredibly difficult.
We need a planet with a suit that can emit the right amount of heat and light for not
just us, but for plants and animals.
We need an atmosphere that is both there to protect us from harmful cosmic rays, but also
keeps in the gasses we would breathe without being toxic.
Water is a must, or at the very least, somewhat easily obtained, and of course, it needs to
be able to keep us going long term.
That's not an easy thing to ask for.
But that doesn't mean we should lose hope.
Many organizations are looking for more planets to research and see if they match Earth.
And they might just find one, let's just hope we're around when that happens.
Thanks for watching everyone!
Do you think that humanity will reach some of them one day?
When do you think it'll be?
Let us know in the comments below!
Be sure to subscribe, and I'll see you next time on the channel!