Under blankets of gas, distant planets might have the right conditions for liquid water.
A diagram showing the layer of helium and hydrogen gases that could allow water to be liquid on unusually distant planets.Somewhere in the universe, there may be rocky worlds perhaps twice as distant from their host stars as Earth is from the sun. So far from their stars’ warmth, these planets should be quite cold—and any water on their surfaces should be frozen.
The new calculations bode well for the potential habitability of these cold super-Earths. Their existence is still theoretical—none have been found yet—so this adds an incentive for astrophysicists to hunt for this exoplanet class as they seek to determine whether we’re alone in the universe.
The trick is keeping that hydrogen gas around long enough for it to build up. It’s a particularly light element, so unless a planet is massive enough and has enough gravity to hold onto the gas, hydrogen will vanish into space. And if the planet is close to its star, the radiation can make those particles escape more quickly. The vast distance between these cold super-Earths and their stars could protect their hydrogen gas from being torn away.
France Dernières Nouvelles, France Actualités
Similar News:Vous pouvez également lire des articles d'actualité similaires à celui-ci que nous avons collectés auprès d'autres sources d'information.
Vanessa Hudgens Visited High School Musical's East High And I Am Crying'LETS GO WILDCATS!!'
Lire la suite »
Alien Worlds Very Different to Earth Might Be Habitable For Billions of YearsOur blueprint for the habitability of exoplanets is just one world in the entire cosmos: Earth. Our home is the only planet on which we know, for a certainty, life has emerged.
Lire la suite »
SpaceX's Starship Super Heavy rocket prototype moves to launch pad for testsThe giant Starship and Super Heavy booster may shoot for an orbital test as soon as July.
Lire la suite »
Long-Term Liquid Water – Required for Life – Could Exist on Planets That Are Very Different From EarthLiquid water is an important prerequisite for life to develop on a planet. As researchers report in a new study, liquid water could also exist for billions of years on planets that are very different from Earth. This calls our currently Earth-centered idea of potentially habitable planets into quest
Lire la suite »
Jacqueline Laurita's Daughter, Ashlee Malleo, Shares Bipolar Diagnosis: 'I Had a Psychotic Break'“I am not ashamed of my diagnosis… I will also not allow anyone to use my diagnosis as a scapegoat to treat me poorly.”
Lire la suite »