Life sustaining earth like planets discovered
More than 50 new alien planets — including one so-called super-Earth that could potentially support life — have been discovered by an exoplanet-hunting telescope from the European Southern Observatory
This artist’s impression shows the alien planet HD 85512b orbiting the Sun-like star HD 85512 in the southern constellation of Vela (The Sail). It orbits a star 35 light-years from Earth and weighs the equivalent of 3.6 Earth masses and may be in the habitable zone.
A telescope at the European Southern Observatory has spotted 50 new exoplanets—and one of them is a so-called “super-Earth” that might just be habitable, Live Science reports. The telescope actually found 16 super-Earths—potentially rocky worlds sporting more mass than our beloved home world—but one designated HD 85512 b stands out because it orbits within the edge of its star’s theoretically habitable zone.
The planet is relatively small, at 3.6 times more massive than Earth, and relatively close, at a mere 35 light-years away. Researchers think that with more study they can determine if there’s a possibility the planet harbors water. “This is the lowest-mass confirmed planet discovered … that potentially lies in the habitable zone of its star,” an exoplanet expert says. “I think we’re in for an incredibly exciting time. … We’re actually going out there to discover brand new worlds.”
Picture Credit: ESO/M. Kornmesser—Do you think life exists on other planets, and if so, do they have to be “earth-like” planets?
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This is some cool shit man. Anybody who thinks that we’re the only ones out there is an idiot.