New Earth-sized planet discovered, and it may have life

Since ancient times, people have been wondering - aloneare we in the universe? The world is too big and it cannot be that there is no one at all. Scientists put forward their theories on how likely life is on other planets. They are carefully trying to find a new life and already have some search patterns. The parameters that the planet should have, the distance to the star and many other factors that have to be taken into account. But the most difficult question is - what kind of life would we like to see? Will it be just unusual living organisms or intelligent beings like humans. Will we be able to pick up this "intelligence" from other species and understand it? There are too many questions and almost no answers. You should still start with the search for extraterrestrial life itself, and only then understand and study. This is what researchers are doing using new space exploration programs. Thus, a planet the size of the Earth was recently found - it is only 90 light years away, which by astronomical standards is already a neighborhood. And the most interesting thing is that it may have life.

There are exoplanets that are in a state of "eternal night", as they always face their star on the same side and do not receive light on their other side.

Content

• How to determine if a planet is suitable for life?
• 2 The problem of finding intelligent life
  • 2.1 The speed of light and the development of the planets
  • 2.2 Anthropic principle and connection with the mind
• 3 New planet claiming life

How to determine if a planet is suitable for life?

To determine the suitability of a planet for life,it is necessary to take into account a number of physical and geological parameters. One key is having a suitable habitable zone. It is determined by the range of distances from a star within which a planet can have sufficient temperature for the existence of liquid water on its surface, an example is our Sun. Do not forget about water, which is the main component of life, and the presence of liquid water is considered one of the important indicators of the planet's suitability for the development of organic matter and life, including.

Some exoplanets are found in binary or even triple systems, where they orbit several stars at the same time. Such planets are called exosatellites.

However, the presence of liquid water in itself is notis a sufficient condition for the existence of life. It is also necessary to take into account the atmospheric conditions and its composition. The presence of an atmosphere is important to protect the planet from harmful radiation and ensure temperature stability. Its components, such as oxygen, carbon dioxide, methane and many others, can serve as indicators of the activity of life and metabolic processes.

Another parameter that may indicatethe suitability of the planet, is the presence of a magnetic field. The magnetic field of the planet is able to protect the surface from solar and cosmic radiation, which is important, because without it the planet simply cannot settle with organisms.

Modern scientific research allowsdetermine the suitability of the planet using various methods and technologies. One of these is remote observation using space telescopes. They make it possible to study the spectra of light reflected from the planet and determine the presence of characteristic peaks associated with the presence of life. For example, detection of spectral signatures of oxygen, ozone or methane may indicate the presence of organic processes and possibly life.

Other promising methods include searchingbiosignatures - the characteristic chemical or physical traces of life, such as oxidized minerals or complex organic compounds, in the atmosphere or on the surface of a planet. Research is also underway on various exoplanet systems that can detect Earth-like planets and even analyze their atmospheres using spectrometers.

It should be noted that the determination of suitabilityplanets for life is a complex and multifaceted process. Life on other planets can have completely different forms and conditions of existence from ours. Therefore, continuous scientific research and development of technology are important factors in the search for and understanding of potentially habitable planets.

The problem of finding intelligent life

The problem of finding intelligent life on othersplanets is one of the most exciting areas of research in astronomy and exobiology. The discovery of other forms of intelligent life in the universe could lead to a radical revision of our worldview and understanding of our place in the universe.

The first and perhaps the most fundamentalan aspect of the problem of finding such life is the determination of the conditions necessary for its occurrence. Based on our only example of life on Earth, we know that life requires liquid water, chemicals, energy, and certain environmental conditions. However, these conditions may vary on other planets, and we must consider a wide range of possibilities.

On some exoplanets that are close to their stars, unusual phenomena can be observed, such as "double sunsets".

One of the most common methods issearching for radio signals from space, known as SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligent Life). Scientists use radio telescopes to detect and analyze radio signals that could be generated by intelligent civilizations. This method allows us to cover large areas of the sky and potentially detect signals that could be signs of intelligent life.

See also: Life can exist on planets that are not similar to Earth.

In order to detect intelligent life, it is necessary thatShe had a fairly high technological level. Only such a civilization can create signals or build artificial structures that can be detected by us. Otherwise, we will not be able to interact with them. True, there are a couple more difficulties, perhaps other civilizations have completely different technologies, so they will not be able to catch our messages in any way. Or vice versa, they are so developed that we cannot yet detect them, because we do not have the necessary tools.

The speed of light and the development of the planets

Another problem is related to time, becausesignals, like light, travel at a certain speed, and the universe is too big for a message to reach at the right time. Therefore, looking at the distant parts of the Universe, it should be understood that we are looking into the past, since only the light that has been going on, perhaps for more than one million years, has time to reach us.

When the light is emitted and begins itstraveling from distant planets to Earth, he travels through vast distances. This distance can be so vast that it takes significant time for light to reach our planet. For example, if a planet is 100 light years away, then the light emitted by that planet will travel 100 years to reach Earth.

So when we look at the distantplanets, we see the light that was emitted by them in the past. If we imagine that the planet is 100 light years away from us, then we are actually observing the planet as it was 100 years ago. All the changes that have taken place on this planet since that time will not be reflected in the light signal that we see in the present.

Anthropic principle and connection with the mind

A more complex philosophical concept considersproblem on the other hand. The Anthropic Principle suggests that the observational conditions in the universe must be consistent with the possibility of intelligent life, since we humans exist and observe the universe. In other words, the principle states that our ability to observe the universe is not an accident, but rather the result of fundamental properties and parameters of the universe.

One of the most famous formulations is "weakThe Anthropic Principle states that the observer must be in a place and time where intelligent life is possible. This explains why we observe a Universe suitable for the development of life, since, obviously, we ourselves are intelligent beings, otherwise we would not be able to make these observations.

Another formulation is the "strong anthropic principle"— goes further and argues that the observer must not only exist in a place and time where intelligent life is possible, but must also be a necessary condition for the existence of the Universe. This approach assumes that the universe was created or configured in such a way as to allow the emergence of intelligent life.

It is important to note that the anthropic principle is nota scientific theory that can be confirmed or refuted experimentally. Rather, it provides a philosophical and conceptual framework for discussing and understanding our place in the universe.

New planet claiming life

So astronomers have discovered an exoplanetLP 791-18d by NASA's TESS satellite and the Spitzer Space Telescope. This planet orbits a red dwarf star in the constellation of the Cup about 90 light-years away. The researchers determined the planet's mass by measuring its orbital period around the host star, which is influenced by the gravitational pull of other planets in the system.

There are planets that do not reflect light at all, and it is very difficult to find them, but gravity helps in this matter.

Astronomers have concluded that LP 791-18d is slightlylarger and more massive than the Earth. This planet is tidal, which means that one side always faces the star, much like the Moon faces the Earth. The side that is constantly facing the star is too hot to find surface water. However, astronomers believe that volcanic activity on the planet may support the atmosphere and allow water to condense on its dark side, providing the right temperature for liquid water to exist.

It may be interesting - the JUICE apparatus was launched into space to search for life on the satellites of Jupiter.

According to the author, only a small part of the opento date, exoplanets are considered potentially viable. LP 791-18d is on the inner edge of the habitable zone, known as the "Goldilocks zone". The temperature in this zone is not too high and not too low for the existence of liquid water on the surface of the planets. Prior to the discovery of LP 791-18d, astronomers already knew of another planet in this system, LP 791-18c, which is larger and more massive than planet d.

When planet 'C' passes near planet 'D',it creates a gravitational pull, making the orbit of planet "D" elliptical. This results in a slight "D" deformation and causes internal friction, which leads to significant heating of the interior of the planet and volcanic activity on its surface. Similar effects can be observed on Jupiter's moon, Io.

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Researchers have already received permission to studyatmosphere of planet C with the help of the James Webb Space Telescope and hope to add planet D to the list of objects for study. This is just the first step on the way to deeper discoveries. Thanks to the James Webb Telescope, researchers are getting more and more accurate data, and future research will look at the impact of volcanic activity and the possibility of life on this and other planets.