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More than 4,500 exoplanets have been discovered so far, with only a small fraction believed to have the properties to contain life. A new study suggests the galaxy may actually contain it 300 million planets capable of sustaining life.
The research analyzed data from the Kepler Space Telescope and found that about half of the stars that have a similar temperature to the sun – roughly up to 1,500 degrees Fahrenheit – could also orbit rocky planets with liquid water on their surface.
“Kepler already told us there were billions of planets, but we now know that a good portion of those planets could be rocky and habitable,” said lead author of the study, Steve Bryson, in a statement. “Although this achievement is far from being a final value and water on a planet’s surface is only one of many factors that support life, it is extremely exciting that we have calculated that these worlds are so common with such high safety and security. precision”.
This illustration shows a possible appearance of the planet Kepler-452b, the first Earth-sized world found in the habitable zone of a star similar to our Sun. Credits: NASA Ames / JPL-Caltech / T. Pyle
EXTRATERRESTRIAL LIFE ON THE NEAREST 1,000 STARS TO EARTH COULD SEE US: EXPERTS
The Kepler Space Telescope, launched in 2009, was retired in 2018 after running out of fuel.
The new study, which is expected to be published in The Astronomical Journal, examined the relationship between the star’s temperature and the light absorbed by an orbiting planet, extending the range of the researchers.
“We have always known how to define habitability simply in terms of the physical distance of a planet from a star, so that it wasn’t too hot or cold, which left us speculating a lot,” said study co-author Ravi Kopparapu. “Gaia’s star data allowed us to look at these planets and their stars in a whole new way.”
“Not all stars are the same,” added Kopparapu. “Neither does any planet.”
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In their findings, the researchers also claimed that there are “at least four” potentially habitable exoplanets within 20-30 light years of Earth. A light year, which measures the distance in space, is about 6 trillion miles.
“For me, this result is an example of what we were able to discover with just that little glimpse beyond our solar system,” added Bryson, a researcher at NASA Ames Research Center. “What we see is that our galaxy is fascinating, with fascinating worlds and some that may not be too different from ours.”
In October, a separate group of researchers discovered 24 potential “super-habitable” planets that may have more suitable conditions for hosting life.
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