Is anyone still out there? The question of life on other planets, astronomers have no rest. On the exoplanets K2-18b could be the now been able to find. But what does that mean exactly?
What an Exoplanet is?
Exoplanets, extra solar planets, are planets that are outside (Greek: exo) of the Gravitational influence of our sun. An Exoplanet orbiting another star in the case of K2-18b is a so-called Red dwarf.
But Exoplanet is not the same Exoplanet. K2-18b, 2015 by the space telescope Kepler discovered, is also referred to as a super earth. So are the only planets, which range in size and mass between earth and Neptune.
K2-18 is twice as large as the earth and has eight times the mass. The title “super earth” is so absolutely deserves. But whether it can, therefore, also super-life…? May not.
Water should be on a super-earth is in fact also as a matter of urgency. The is to life is essential.
And exactly this has been demonstrated by researchers at the University College in London, on K2-18b now – or, rather, water vapor in the atmosphere of the exoplanet. There is hope so.
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The Planet Hunter
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The Planet Hunter
How do you study a distant celestial body?
But as the existence of water in the case of a celestial body to prove, which is located 110 light-years from earth? “It’s hard, but doable,” says Ingo Waldmann, a Co-author of the British study. “Then, if the Planet between its star and our earth flies through it, and the light of the star through the atmosphere of the planet seems to be.” Just then the Hubble space telescope can collect the exoplanets detected, and information.
With the Hubble data, the researchers came to the water vapour on the track, explains Waldmann. The star’s light reacts with the chemical composition of the atmosphere of the planet.”But if you look at the wave lengths of light, water has a very characteristic fingerprint.” The existence of water on K2-18b is secured.
Not only Hubble and Kepler, the space telescope, TESS is searching for exoplanets
It remains unclear, however, how wet it is on the exoplanets. Because of the amount of water vapor in the atmosphere, Hubble gives no information. “This can be between 0.01 percent and 50 percent,” says Waldmann. The surface of the planet could be either bone dry or of huge oceans covered.
But this is a secret that will elicit the astronomers K2-18b at some point. “With the help of future telescopes, the James Webb space telescope, for example, we can also say the more accurate”, Waldmann is safe.
A visit to K2-18b worth it?
Tend not. “With current technology the trip would take about two million years,” says Waldmann. However, even if the technology could speed up the Trip at some point, snug it is on the exoplanets probably. There is a lack of good air. “Until now, we have found in the atmosphere, only hydrogen and water,” says Waldmann. Of oxygen so far, no trace.
Furthermore, Waldmann is to consider turns K2-18b his rounds in a relatively short distance to its star. The UV-radiation is likely to be extremely high. “Most likely, we would immediately get cancer.” Although for the people inappropriate, it is of course possible that it forms of other life on K2-18b fine.
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New heaven eyes: The Large-Sized Telescope on La Palma
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New heaven eyes: The Large-Sized Telescope on La Palma
Where do you travel then?
Even if K2 is 18b, in this Moment, something very Special, the Exoplanet was probably just one of many. “Super-earths are the most common planets in our galaxy, the milky way, and Red dwarfs are the most common stars. So we will find systems like the K2-18b, in the future more often”, says Waldmann.
Researchers such as Ingo Waldmann hope to discover many more planets with water and thus one of the foundations for life. Not only because it is the “Is anyone there?”-The question haunts. Scientists hope to be able to use the exoplanets, the development of life on earth understand. K2-18b is only the beginning.
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Earth-like planets and other discoveries from spaceA second earth?
The Exoplanet Kepler-186f is located 500 light-years away from us and orbits the Red dwarf Kepler-186, a sun that has only four percent of the energy of our sun. Kepler 186f orbits around its sun at a distance that is just right, that theoretically life could arise: water freezes, or does not evaporate there. But if there is any water at all, is unknown.
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Earth-like planets and other discoveries from spaceLooks like it, or quite different?
Photos of exoplanets, there is not. The scientists manage, with models such as that of Kepler-186f. From the recently entdecketen Kepler-438b there is not even a graphic. Although he is not so far away: Just 470 light-years it is up to him. Kepler-438b orbits a sun-like star and is slightly larger than our earth.
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Earth-like planets and other discoveries from spaceProbe search on the planet
The spacecraft Kepler in 2009 in search of earth-like planets. These planets lie in the habitable Zone of sun or stars, so temperatures that allow at least Theo table of life. Furthermore, you must consist of Rock or silicate or metal compounds with a solid surface. This distinguishes them from Gas giants.
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Earth-like planets and other discoveries from spaceOcean Giants?
This depiction of Kepler-62e shows a planet that is apparently covered by an ocean. Probably the most earth-like exoplanets. Sure, in this planet, but only that it lies in the constellation of Lyra – 1200 light-years away from us. Its parent star, Kepler-62 still has an earth-like moons…
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Earth-like planets and other discoveries from spaceThe Kepler Brothers
The Radius of Kepler-62f is about 1.4 times as large as the earth. He is a little further out than its big brother Kepler-62e, whose Radius corresponds to 1.6 times the earth. But otherwise, he, too, could be suitable for life. The researchers hold in any case, the presence of Rock and water is quite plausible.
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Earth-like planets and other discoveries from spaceWho is orbiting two suns
Kepler 16b is located at the edge of the habitable Zone of stars, but pretty sure is not habitable. It’s a shame, because there you could watch every day of two sunrises and sunsets. The Exo-planet the size of Saturn orbiting two suns at the same time. The Problem: He is a mixture of Gas and rock – or ice-covered planet.
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Earth-like planets and other discoveries from spaceFascinating images from the Hubble telescope
These are the pillars of creation in the eagle nebula, about 7000 light-years away from us. They were taken by the Hubble telescope, the ESA and NASA jointly operate,. Here we see the fog pillars by infra-red light which penetrates deeper into the clouds than a regular light spectrum. Within the pillars, countless bright stars and Baby stars are visible, even sun systems.
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Earth-like planets and other discoveries from spaceLet there be light!
The pillars of creation from see through visible light: More fog, but also more color. Dust and Gas in the pillars to be broken by radiation, which comes from young stars. The new images from the Hubble telescope make it possible for researchers to track changes in the star image over a long period of time, exactly.
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Earth-like planets and other discoveries from spaceDeep in the Big car hidden
This galaxy, called NGC 4102 is a LINER-galaxy. This means that you send out, as about a third of all galaxies, a low ionizing radiation. In the centre there is a Region in the apparently young stars form. The centre of the star formation is a rotating disk with a diameter of 1000 light years. What is happening exactly, don’t know the astronomers.
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Earth-like planets and other discoveries from spaceA bunch of in the milky way
Messier 92 is called this nebula, which belongs to the nödlichen part of the constellation Hercules, and in the milky way is located. When the sky is clear and dark night you can see him even with the naked eye. This cloud contains well-330.000 stars. Most of them are probably made up of hydrogen and Helium. Heavier elements, such as metals, there is probably hardly.
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Earth-like planets and other discoveries from spaceThe best view ever of Andromeda
This photo of the Andromeda galaxy in the Original 1.5 billion pixels. It is the detailier is the most total image ever made of the galaxy. The Hubble telescope has banned 100 million stars and thousands of star clusters in it. To watch it in full beauty, you’d need 600 HD television. The two Ends of the image are 40,000 light years away from each other.