does this planet have life that we can communicate with?
The search for extraterrestrials has fascinated us and been a hotly debated topic. From the S.E.T.I. program to other methods, lately the focus on exoplanets has gained a lot of attention. There is one in particular that has caught the attention of many astronomers:
Scientists say a world that’s 490 light-years away qualifies as the first confirmed Earth-sized exoplanet that could sustain life as we know it — but in an environment like nothing we’ve ever seen.
The planet, known as Kepler-186f, is “more of an Earth cousin than an Earth twin,” Elisa Quintana, an astronomer at the SETI Institute at NASA Ames Research Center, told the journal Science. Quintana is the lead author of a report on the planet published by Science this week.
And for the update there are 10 facts that you may not know about this planet. A home science fan compiled them from NASA’s data. Have any guess how long a year is there?
And even SETI might try to communicate with it. Is that a good idea?
Let’s check out this mysterious new exoplanet on page 2
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Kelby Chesshir
Human may be comfortable with Earth atmospheric environment. But extraterrestrials species from other worlds may not find Earth conducive for their survival. Oxygen may be toxic. Some species requires a healthy dose of 95% carbon dioxide. Sunlight burn their delicate skin. Even the food we eat may not be agreeable to their taste. Extraterrestrials who came and stayed on Earth wore thin reflective suits and helmets with large tinted googles to protect their eyes from the UV ray of sunlight. Some may find Earth gravity too strong to allow them to walk upright. Communication may a problem. Planet Kepler-186F may be inhabitable for extraterrestrials but may likely be habitable for humans. The search for extraterrestrials – based on a human friendly environment and expecting to find extraterrestrials – is unthinkably wrong. On the other hand – human may have to wear protective suits if we do come face to face with extraterrestrials on Kepler 186F.