A rocky, molten planet orbiting one of the oldest stars in the galaxy may be the best evidence for scientists but alien life may have arisen in the past.
The planet, known as TOI-561 b, is a “super-Earth” 280 light-years away. It is about 50% larger than our planet and three times larger, but it is unlikely to survive. It orbits its star so close that researchers have discovered that its surface temperature exceeds 3,000 degrees Fahrenheit, turning the rock top into molten magma.
But this super-Earth is much older than scientists previously expected for rocky planets, suggesting that an ancient world like Earth could have other stars with a temperature more conducive to life. Such planets may have existed for twice as long as Earth, giving them ample time to support complex life and even intelligent civilizations.
The TOI-561 star is orbiting the galaxy’s “thick disk”, the outer region above and below the flat plane that holds most of the Milky Way’s material. The thick disk contains stars that are about 10 billion years old, and researchers believe that this planet is just as old.
Spiral galaxies such as the Milky Way and the Andromeda galaxy (pictured) have flat discs that contain most of their stars.
NASA / JPL-Caltech
“TOI-561 was the first planet to have a proven rocky constellation around an ancient star, showing that rocky planets have formed for most of the history of the universe,” Lauren Weiss, man graduate at the University of Hawaii and said a leading researcher in this discovery, at a meeting of the Astronomical Society of America. “I wonder if they have anyone we’d like to talk to.”
The result was published in the Astronomical Journal on Monday.
Earth-like plans are almost as old as our galaxy
NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope captured nearly 10,000 galaxies in this Ultra Deep Field image.
NASA / ESA
The astronomers could tell how old TOI-561 b is since the density of the planet is about the same as the density of the Earth, even though its mass is three times greater. That means it may not contain many heavy elements, such as iron or magnesium.
It took billions of years for the galaxy to fill with heavy elements, as they must be formed deep inside stars. As the stars grow, die, and explode, these elements dissipate and eventually come together in new planets. So 10 billion years ago, heavy elements were scarce and planets were not very dense. It is likely that TOI-561 was invented.
“Gosh, if we’ve only been around for 5 billion years, imagine what might have happened on a rocky world that has been around for 10 billion years,” Weiss said.
Her team discovered TOI-561 used WM Keck Observatory on Maunakea in Hawaii. The star is orbited by two other planets, but the large size and low mass indicate that they are gaseous, like Jupiter.
Fossils can be the hunt for monsters
Image of NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover using his drill to establish a rock sample on Mars.
NASA / JPL-Caltech
This discovery contributes to a growing body of research that reveals that life on other planets may have evolved, technologically advanced civilizations, and extinct long before life arose on Earth.
This could open up a whole new way of finding life outside. Instead of listening for messages from monsters seeking another intelligent life, scientists may be more fortunate to scan the skies for fossils.
“If you look for evidence that there were things in the past as well as in the present, you have a greater chance of finding something,” Harvard astronaut Avi Loeb told Insylian Aylin Woodward.
Loeb’s new book “Extraterrestrial: The First Sign of Intelligent Life Beyond Earth” argues that the first intersexual visitor seen was passing on Earth – a disc-shaped object called ‘Oumuamua’ – a piece of foreign technology.
An artist’s impression of the most recognizable intersex visit the solar system, “Oumuamua.”
Southern European Theater / M. Kornmesser / Leaflet via Reuters
NASA’s next mission to Mars, Perseverance, is expected to find the remnants of a previous life. If it lands according to plan on Feb. 18, the robot explorer will scan an old lake bed for signs of long-gone Martian microbes. It is planned to take samples of interesting rocks and dirt and set them aside for a later mission to bring it back to Earth.
As for the rest of the galaxy, current efforts are largely focused on finding more rocky planets that may have arable temperatures, and then examining the atmosphere for signs of life. .
Engineers and technicians will work on the James Webb Space Telescope, October 14, 2016.
NASA / Chris Gunn
NASA’s $ 10 billion James Webb Space Telescope is expected to launch into Earth’s orbit on Halloween. The project aims to study all stages of the history of the universe, helping to reveal how the first stars and galaxies were created. By looking at stars and other planets in infrared light, JWST should be able to feel the feel of alien planets.
Other telescopes aimed at studying Earth’s size planets such as TOI-561 have been proposed but have not yet been built. The Exoplanet Environment Observatory (HabEx) would, for the first time, provide a direct image of Earth-like planets. Another telescope concept, called the UV / Optical / IR Large Meter (LUVOIR), would also look for signs of residence, or life itself, on distant planets.