The Earth Beyond Us
Astronomers announced Monday September 12, 2011 the discovery of 50 new planets circling stars beyond our Sun, including one “super-Earth” that is the right distance from its Sun to possibly have water.
This new planet could be livable for humans. It was discovered by the European Southern Observatory. It is also 3.5 times the mass of our Earth. Astronomers found the sun first and noticed that it was wobbling indicating the existence of a planet tugging at the star. The planet circles an orange star somewhat smaller and cooler than our sun about 36 light-years away. That would be over 1 million years, resulting in a worm hole being the only efficient way to get there. Super Earth’s sun is visible in the southern sky in the constellation Vela. It is also about 1,800 degrees cooler than our sun. The newly found planet circles the “Sun” every 59 days, meaning water could exist if the atmospheric conditions were right.
So far astronomers have not determined whether the new super Super-Earth is rocky like our Earth or glassy like Jupiter, or let alone whether it has an atmosphere. If it has an atmosphere at least 60% of the planet would need to be covered by clouds for it to be potentially habitable. Gravity on the Super-Earth is about 1.4 times what we experience. To determine whether the planet has an atmosphere, astronomers need to take a picture of the planet- which they have not done- and search the light for signs of water, carbon dioxide and other gases. No existing telescope is sensitive enough for that task. A NASA telescope has identified more than 50 other candidates, but those planets still need further investigation.
If humans could find a way to get there with less of a risk, the Super-Earth could have many benefits to us. If the water on our earth runs out or becomes polluted we could possibly get fresh water from the Super-Earth. Also, we could have more space to put our waste. If we found an efficient way to get and chose not to take water and deposit waste there we could even live on the Super-Earth. We could use this new Super-Earth to make our world a little better a little at a time.