What do we know about life in the Universe?
American scientists have discovered for the first time in our galaxy an Earth-sized planet on which life could be lived, ITAR-TASS quoted NASA. The object was discovered by the Kepler telescope, launched in orbit in March 2009. However, not only does this planet have conditions for developing life.
The only such planet in the Universe
The planet received the symbol "Kepler-186f". "His discovery was a significant step in the search for the same worlds that exist in the world," said NASA Astrophysics CEO Paweł Hertz. As explained exoplanet is located in the so-called ecosphere, the area of the environment at a distance from the parent star, which allows to maintain moderate temperature on its surface necessary for the existence of water in the liquid state. All other planets that we have so far discovered are 40 percent. Earth.
It does not have to be a life
Kepler-186f is located in the constellation of Swan, about 500 light-years from Earth. Red dwarf circle - a relatively small and cool star about two times smaller than our sun. The period of planetary circulation around the star is 130 days. By defining the mass and composition of Kepler-186f, scientists have found that hard rock is dominated by its surface. The composition of the atmosphere is covered by the mystery. Temperature on the planet.
"The fact that the planet is in the ecosphere does not mean that there are any forms of life there," said Thomas Barkley of the Ames Space Center. According to him, Kepler-186f has many distinctive features similar to those on Earth, but rather it is our cousin and not the twin.
Elsewhere there are no such conditions
Other planets orbiting a red dwarf in the constellation of Swan are not included in the number of potential candidates for maintaining biological conditions - the temperature on its surface is too high. Earlier, thanks to the information provided by the Kepler telescope on the Milky Way, about 2 thousand. exoplanets. NASA expects new data to be generated by the launch of another telescope, James Webb, in 2018.
Watermarks on Mars
An American Opportunity rider, who landed on the Red Planet's surface in January 2004, found traces of water in cliffs of the crater of Endeavor. According to scientists, the analysis of soil samples separated by rover showed that 3.7 billion years ago Mars was a planet rich in water, with a neutral pH. This gave reason to believe that such conditions were appropriate for life. However, scientists can not yet reliably confirm the existence of Martian microorganisms in the past.
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