Exoplanets
The discovery that there are planets circling stars in our solar system, hundreds of lightyears away, has been a thought on scientist’s minds for some time. What could this mean for the future of Earth, and how could this discovery change our view and understanding of the solar system?
Exoplanets are simply planets that circle stars outside of our own. These planets can be anywhere from hot gas giants, like Jupiter, to smaller, rocky planets, like Earth or Mars. Scientists have discovered many exoplanets orbiting stars that are near Earth, and some of these planets have a solid, rocky surface like Earth but they are still working to discover whether these planets have atmospheres.
The Goldilocks zone
For a long time, scientists looked around our solar system for signs of other life forms. During this search, they discovered that there is a specific area that life can inhabit, one that is not too hot, and not too cold. This is called the Goldilocks Zone. This zone is not too far away or too close to that planet’s star, therefore life could form there. For example, Earth is in the Goldilocks Zone of the Sun. But this zone is very small, and even some parts of Earth have extreme temperatures, the deserts and the Arctic, but certain forms of life can still exist here. In the past 40 years, scientists have learned much more about extreme environments and the life forms that can live there, meaning that the Goldilocks one could be bigger than we originally thought.
This discovery could mean that other forms of life are able to survive on exoplanets within the Goldilocks Zone, if these planets have an atmosphere. Discovering this could also change the way we explore and send people to other planets in the future.
Recent exoplanet discoveries
Recently, Scientists found seven exoplanets orbiting TRAPPIST-1. All these planets are rocky and three of them are in the star’s goldilocks, or habitable zone. 52 Pegasi b is a gas giant, not unlike Jupiter and takes only 4.2 days to orbit its star. At the time it was discovered, scientists did not predict its existence because it was not possible for a gas giant to form that close to a star. They hypothesize that it was formed farther away and moved there because of the gravitational pull of the star. This shows that there could be exoplanets around stars that we do not know of and are unlike anything we have discovered so far.
The Eso (European Southern Observatory) discovered an exoplanet, roughly the size of Earth, orbiting the star closest to Earth. The discovery of this rocky planet in the habitable zone of this star is huge, as it means that there could be a potential for life very close to Earth. An increasing knowledge of space and technology in the future could give us more information about these exoplanets as we discover them.
In the future, Nasa wats to create a census of exoplanets that are much farther from Earth. There will also be missions to discover and document the environments of these planets. Nearby stars are within 60 light-years from the Sun. If scientists can inspire people to become interested in these exoplanet missions, they can become a reality.
Conclusion
If scientists can find forms of life on different planets, they could send astronauts to these planets to search for more life and investigate what has already been detected. Exoplanets are still somewhat of a mystery for astronomers, as they are still very difficult to find orbiting stars even with the technology, we have access to. With technology getting better and more complex each year, scientists are optimistic that exoplanet discovery can increase. The exoplanets we have discovered already have set off a light in many people’s minds that the probability of finding life on another planet is very likely. This could mean that we find life that is completely different from life on Earth. We could be looking at a star that has an exoplanet orbiting it with life on it, and the thought that that is a possibility is what could change for everyone here on Earth.
Works Cited:
“The Exoplanet Zoo.” Canadian Space Agency, 22 Apr. 2022, www.asc-csa.gc.ca/eng/astronomy/beyond-our-solar-system/exoplanet-zoo.asp.
Brennan, Pat. “ESO Discovers Earth-Size Planet in Habitable Zone of Nearest Star.” NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), 24 Aug. 2016, www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/eso-discovers-earth-size-planet-in-habitable-zone-of-nearest-star.
Bolle, Dana. “Exoplanet Exploration | Science Mission Directorate.” Science Mission Directorate, 11 May 2022, science.nasa.gov/astrophysics/programs/ExEP.
“Exoplanets: Crash Course Astronomy #27.” YouTube, 6 Aug. 2015, www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ATtD8x7vV0&t=349s.
Dunbar, Brian. “NASA – The Goldilocks Zone.” Nasa, 30 Nov. 2007, www.nasa.gov/vision/earth/livingthings/microbes_goldilocks.html.
—. “Lost in the Glare.” Exoplanet Exploration: Planets Beyond Our Solar System, 14 Sept. 2012, exoplanets.nasa.gov/resources/1023/lost-in-the-glare.