Here's what we know about Earth 2.0 so far
NASA's
Kepler spacecraft has just found an exoplanet that is more similar to Earth
than any other found before.
Scientists are calling it Earth 2.0,
the ‘bigger, older cousin’ to our very own blue planet. According to NASA,
Kepler 452b is an exoplanet that is closest they’ve ever found to Earth itself.
The planet resides in the habitable region around its star, Kepler 452, which
means it is warm enough for liquid water to exist on it. NASA’s Kepler
spacecraft has found the planet, but it is too far away to photograph. That
said, there’s still a lot that modern technology has allowed us to know, and
NASA scientists will continue detecting more in coming days. You’re probably
curious to know why this is an important discovery, and if you’re not, you should
be.
It’s just a little bigger than the
Earth
The diameter of the Earth is 12,742
km, while Earth 2.0 or Kepler 452b is about 60% bigger at 20,000km.
The size and scale of
Kepler 452b compared to Kepler 186f and some others. (Credit:
NASA/JPL-CalTech/R. Hurt)
Gravity is stronger there
The larger size of the planet means
that the gravitational force on it is more. Actually, the gravitational force
is estimated to be approximately twice as that on Earth. That said, scientists
have also said that the human body could adapt to it over time. The first few
people there would have a tough time adjusting though, and they could
eventually turn into Super Sayians, just like Goku did in Dragonball Z, after
training in the gravity chamber.
The years are longer on Kepler 452b
But they’re not that much longer.
Kepler 452b takes only 20 days more than the Earth to orbit the Sun, which
means that a year on the planet is 385 days long, a striking similarity with
the Earth. This is a significant similarity. Planets in our solar system, for
example, Jupiter, takes about 12 Earth years to orbit the Sun once. Neptune
takes 185 days, while Venus takes less than 100 days.
Earth 2.0 may actually be Earth 1.0
Kepler 452, the star for Earth 2.0
is 1.5 billion years older than Earth’s Sun. The planet has existed in the
star’s habitable region for billions of years. According to NASA, the planet
could be capable of supporting life, or may even have had life on it, at some
point in its history.
This artist's concept
compares Earth (left) to the new planet, called Kepler-452b, which is about 60
percent larger in diameter. (Credit: NASA/JPL-CalTech/R. Hurt)
Water, water, everywhere
Well that’s not quite accurate.
According to NASA’s estimation though, Kepler 452b could be at the right
temperature for liquid water to exist on it. You know, that thing that keeps
all of us alive?
Also, scientists have said that the
planet could be rocky, meaning there could be active volcanoes on it.
Plants should be able to thrive
there
The planet’s star is not only older
than the sun, but also slightly brighter. This would aid plants in thriving on
the planet, assuming of course that it is a rocky planet as well. This in turn
allows humans to survive, since photosynthesis by plants is what creates the
air that we breathe. If you find yourself there though, keep your sun block
ready.
Habitable planets found by
NASA's Kepler mission in the last six years. (Credit: NASA Ames/W. Stenzel)
You can’t get there
While many reports seem to suggest
that the planet is poised to take over from the Earth we currently live in,
there’s currently no way to get there. It is 1400 lightyears away, and one
lightyear is the distance travelled by light in one year. Light travels at 670
million miles per hour, you do the math.
Note: The images of Kepler 452b in
the story aren't originals. They are artist's representations taken from NASA.
Kepler 452b is too far to be photographed. You can get more information about
Kepler 452b here.
