Monday 6 March 2017

Hello! All the exoplanets out there!

Posted by Unknown on 01:07:00 NEWS , Science , Updates No comments

Source :- NASA

NASA has discovered seven planets with sizes similar to that of Earths' which are estimated to be 39 light years away, this has awakened the best instincts of earthling eager to welcome these newly found planets into our planetary pantheon. Planets such like these have always been of much interest because it enables the scientists for the infinite possibilities of life.

39 light years is sure is very far from Earth. All the planets are discovered orbiting a single star in the Trappist-1 system.Three of the seven Earth-sized planets are found within the star's habitable zone, meaning liquid water, and even more amazingly, life, could exist on the planets' surfaces.

The planets were observed with the Spitzer Space Telescope, an infrared telescope launched in 2003. Spitzer was never intended to study exoplanets, but it was re-engineered from Earth by NASA to detect dips in light as the planets pass in front of the star. The dip in light level provides insight into the planets' approximate sizes.

NASA travel poster for the Trappist-1 System

NASA didn't peer through its telescope and see alien life waving back, but the discovery of planets in the habitable zone with the possibly of atmospheres capable of supporting surface water is an exciting step toward finding life outside Earth. NASA said within the next year it should have more accurate measurements of the mass of the planets.
While we won't be traveling to any of the planets in our lifetimes, NASA approved a Mars mission in 2018 to further study our closest neighbor for future human visitation.