Astronomers have spotted “something” near Alpha Centauri A, in the star system nearest our Earth and sun. If it turns out to be a planet, it’ll be the first time a planet has been directly imaged within the habitable zone of a star. Source: https://earthsky.org/space/alpha-centauri-a-planet-candidate-direct-image-discovery…
Tag: habitable zones
Hostile space weather might not be all bad for exoplanet life
A new study from Northwestern University shows that solar flares – space weather – might not always be as dangerous for life on exoplanets as typically thought. In fact, it might even help astronomers discover alien life on distant worlds. Source: https://earthsky.org/space/hostile-space-weather-might-not-be-all-bad-for-exoplanet-life…
How Many Alien Civilizations Are Out There? A New Galactic Survey Holds a Clue.
Here’s a good sign for alien hunters: More than 300 million worlds with similar conditions to Earth are scattered throughout the Milky Way galaxy. A new analysis [PDF] concludes that roughly half of the galaxy’s sunlike stars host rocky worlds in habitable zones where liquid water could pool or flow over the planets’ surfaces. From a report: “This is the science…
How astronomers rediscovered a ‘lost world’
And why this rediscovery of a lost world – called NGTS-11b – bodes well for finding habitable exoplanets. Source: https://earthsky.org/space/lost-world-ngts-11b-exoplanet-habitable-zone…
Do the TRAPPIST-1 planets have atmospheres?
In February of 2017, the scientific community rejoiced as NASA announced that a nearby star (TRAPPIST-1) had a system of no less than seven rocky planets. Since that time, astronomers have conducted all kinds of follow-up observations and studies in the hopes of learning more about these exoplanets. In particular, they have been attempting to learn if any of the planets…
How many ETs are in our galaxy? Ask the Alien Civilization Calculator
Researchers at Omni Calculator have created the Alien Civilization Calculator, a unique combination of two different methods of trying to determine how many advanced alien civilizations may exist in our galaxy. Source: https://earthsky.org/space/alien-civilization-calculator-extraterrestrial-intelligence-seti…
As many as six billion Earth-like planets in our galaxy, according to new estimates
To be considered Earth-like, a planet must be rocky, roughly Earth-sized and orbiting Sun-like (G-type) stars. It also has to orbit in the habitable zones of its star—the range of distances from a star in which a rocky planet could host liquid water, and potentially life, on its surface. Source: https://phys.org/news/2020-06-billion-earth-like-planets-galaxy.html…
New ‘climate decoder’ to study potentially habitable exoplanets
What is the climate like on some potentially habitable exoplanets? Scientists have developed a new “decoder” to find out. Source: https://earthsky.org/space/exoplanets-climate-environmental-color-decoder…
Proxima Centauri b confirmed as nearest exoworld
Researchers at the University of Geneva have confirmed the existence of an Earth-sized exoplanet orbiting in the habitable zone of Proxima Centauri, the closest star to our sun. Source: https://earthsky.org/space/exoplanet-proxima-centauri-b-confirmed…
How WFIRST will use warped spacetime to find exoplanets
NASA’s WFIRST mission – an infrared space observatory planned for launch around 2025 – will use the fact that the gravity of distant objects warps spacetime, bending and focusing light, thereby revealing new worlds. Source: https://earthsky.org/space/wfirst-exoplanets-microlensing-space-time-milky-way…