TWO Earth-like planets have been discovered in outer space, one of which may have the required circumstances for life to evolve.
The planets are known as LP 890-9b and LP 890-9c, and they
exhibit many of the important characteristics that astronomers look for when
searching for life in the universe.
Both are stony, terrestrial planets with a hard surface that
are devoid of gases.
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Their host system is the second coldest star with planets in
orbit, and NASA refers to it as a "Goldilocks star" because its
constant, relatively temperate emissions are suitable for lifeforms.
Finding a planet that has many of the similar circumstances
as Earth is a momentous cosmic finding; one of the world’s meets even more
exact specifications for producing and sustaining life.
LP 890-9c is located in its host star's "habitable
zone."
“The habitable zone is a concept under which a planet with
similar geological and atmospheric conditions as Earth, would have a surface
temperature allowing water to remain liquid for billions of years,” said Amaury
Triaud, professor of Exoplanetology at University Birmingham and leader of the
research.
“This gives us a license to observe more and find out
whether the planet has an atmosphere, and if so, to study its content and
assess its habitability.”
LP 890-9c is 40% larger than Earth and completes an
eight-and-a-half-day orbit around its host star.
According to a press release from the University of
Birmingham, the James Webb Space Telescope could be useful in observing the
atmosphere of LP 890-9c.
“It is important to detect as many temperate terrestrial
worlds as possible to study the diversity of exoplanet climates, and eventually
to be in a position to measure how frequently biology has emerged in the
Cosmos,” Professor Triaud said.
Because of the great distance between the LP 890-9 system
and Earth's telescopes, our observations took place 100 million years ago.
Light from a star that no longer exists may have travelled
millions of kilometres to reach our space observatories.