BackEarth-like planets and life
The discovery of Alpha Centauri Bb has resurrected the buzz around Earth-like planets
Premium
The discovery of Alpha Centauri Bb, an extrasolar or exoplanet, has resurrected the buzz around Earth-like planets which give humans hope that life could exist on planets that are outside our solar system.
But just because Alpha Centauri Bb is the closest exoplanet to Earth ever seen, and is similar to our planet in size and mass, we won’t be going there in a hurry. It is too hot (2,240 fahrenheit) and too close to its parent star (just 3.6 million miles as compared with Earth which is 93 million miles from the Sun) to support life and is 24 trillion miles away from us. But Alpha Centauri Bb offers the hope that there may be other such planets in Earth’s vicinity.
Nearly 850 exoplanets have been discovered since the mid-1990s. Millions of such planets are waiting to be discovered. But for a planet to sustain life like on Earth, it has to at least be in the so-called “habitable" (or Goldilocks) zone. Having liquid water and an atmosphere are among the most important factors. But it may be humbling to realize that even if we do discover the twin of our planet Earth, we may not be able to travel that distance—at least for now.
Most of these planets are light years away. Gliese 581g, which was discovered in September 2010, is 20 light years away (around 120 trillion miles). Light travels at 186,000 miles per second (300,000km per second) so a light year is the distance that light can travel in a year—9,460,800,000,000km. Current space shuttles don’t go much faster than 17,500 miles per hour. At that pace, it would take 766,000 years to get to Gliese 581g. None of us will be around unless you believe in life after death.
Besides, human beings could be torn apart by the high gravity forces and unmanned vehicles could face interstellar dust and particles. The laws of physics will need revisiting with concepts such as wormholes, warps and teleportation. Perhaps, NASA (with its Breakthrough Propulsion Physics (BPP) research group) may come up with an answer on interstellar travel in our lifetime. Finally, even if we do manage such travel, some scientists say it may be very different from what we are used to, as plants on Earth give our ecosystem colour. Besides, life on those planets may be anything but human.
Is there life beyond earth? Tell us at views@livemint.com
Unlock a world of Benefits! From insightful newsletters to real-time stock tracking, breaking news and a personalized newsfeed – it's all here, just a click away! Login Now!
