Scientists have identified a latest exoplanet candidate that could finally support human life: Kepler-62f, located some 1,200 light-years away from Earth.
Kepler-62f's possible habitability is based on it organism a suitable distance from its sun, and astronomers think this might give it the essential mix of solid, rocky terrain and oceans to hold life. The planet is about 40 percent bigger than our own, so at least there's room to spread out, if we ever get there.
"We establish there are multiple atmospheric compositions that allow it to be warm enough to have surface liquid water," said lead researcher Aomawa Shields. "This makes it a physically powerful candidate for a habitable planet."Incredibly high concentrations of carbon dioxide would be requisite to keep Kepler-62f warm enough to be time after time habitable for the whole year, the researchers say. So high, in fact, that the planet would need an atmosphere that's three to 5 times thicker than Earth’s and composed completely of carbon dioxide.
That might sound like a lot, but you'd require that a great deal carbon to trap heat in the planet's atmosphere, given how far away Kepler-62f is from its star. The team also discovered "certain orbital configurations" that would allow temperatures to get above freezing for exacting parts of the year.
Shields says the method used in this research, where two different types of computer model were combined, could also help astronomers learn other exoplanets exterior our Solar System, filling the gaps in the data that we can't yet get from telescopes.
At the instant, only a few dozen exoplanets (out of around 2,300 exposed so far) are in what's known as the 'habitable zone', where it's likely that life could be supported – essentially, environment where running liquid water might be found.
"[These models] will allow us to make a prioritised list of targets to follow up on extra closely with the after that generation of telescopes that can look for the atmospheric fingerprints of life on one more world," said-Shields
Kepler-62f's possible habitability is based on it organism a suitable distance from its sun, and astronomers think this might give it the essential mix of solid, rocky terrain and oceans to hold life. The planet is about 40 percent bigger than our own, so at least there's room to spread out, if we ever get there.
"We establish there are multiple atmospheric compositions that allow it to be warm enough to have surface liquid water," said lead researcher Aomawa Shields. "This makes it a physically powerful candidate for a habitable planet."
That might sound like a lot, but you'd require that a great deal carbon to trap heat in the planet's atmosphere, given how far away Kepler-62f is from its star. The team also discovered "certain orbital configurations" that would allow temperatures to get above freezing for exacting parts of the year.
Shields says the method used in this research, where two different types of computer model were combined, could also help astronomers learn other exoplanets exterior our Solar System, filling the gaps in the data that we can't yet get from telescopes.
At the instant, only a few dozen exoplanets (out of around 2,300 exposed so far) are in what's known as the 'habitable zone', where it's likely that life could be supported – essentially, environment where running liquid water might be found.
"[These models] will allow us to make a prioritised list of targets to follow up on extra closely with the after that generation of telescopes that can look for the atmospheric fingerprints of life on one more world," said-Shields
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