In what appears to be a major
discovery, astronomers have
found 8 new planets that may
be capable of supporting life,
including two most Earth-like
alien worlds yet found.
Astronomers announced that
they have found 8 new
planets in the “Goldilocks”
zone of their stars, orbiting at
a distance where liquid water
can exist on the planet’s
surface.
“Most of these planets have a
good chance of being rocky,
like Earth,” said lead author
Guillermo Torres of the
Harvard-Smithsonian Centre
for Astrophysics (CfA).
The 8 new worlds confirmed
by NASA’s venerable Kepler
space telescope boost the
number of Kepler’s confirmed
planets to over a thousand.
The 2 most Earth-like planets
of the group are Kepler-438b
and Kepler-442b. Both orbit
red dwarf stars that are
smaller and cooler than our
Sun.
Kepler-438b circles its star
every 35 days, while
Kepler-442b completes one
orbit every 112 days. With a
diameter just 12 per cent
bigger than Earth,
Kepler-438b has a 70-per cent
chance of being rocky,
according to the team’s
calculations.
Kepler-442b is about one-third
larger than Earth, but still has
a 60-per cent chance of being
rocky. To be in the habitable
zone, an exoplanet must
receive about as much
sunlight as Earth. Too much,
and any water would boil away
as steam. Too little, and water
will freeze solid.
“For our calculations we chose
to adopt the broadest possible
limits that can plausibly lead
to suitable conditions for life,”
said Torres.
Kepler-438b receives about 40
per cent more light than
Earth. In comparison, Venus
gets twice as much solar
radiation as Earth. As a result,
the team calculates it has a 70
per cent likelihood of being in
the habitable zone of its star.
Kepler-442b get about two-
thirds as much light as Earth.
The scientists give it a 97
percent chance of being in the
habitable zone.
“We don’t know for sure
whether any of the planets in
our sample are truly habitable.
All we can say is that they’re
promising candidates,” said
second author David Kipping
of the CfA.
http://www.imediagate.com/astronomers-discover-8-new-planets-that-may-support-life/

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