(Image Source: Grant)
BY NICK ADAMS
Super Earths? That’s what astronomers are calling several planets after a historical discovery.
“Astronomers found fifty new planets outside of our solar system including sixteen super earths that may support life.” (Video source: KSBI)
The European Southern Observatory discovered the planets by using an instrument called HARPS, which detects stars to find planets.
But astronomers are focused on one. Its called HD 85512b, and it's important because according to Fox News, it...
“...orbits at the edge of its star's habitable zone, suggesting conditions could be ripe to support life.”
So what makes it a Super Earth? According to the Guardian, HD 85512 b
“... is about 3.6 times the mass of Earth.”
So what does it look like? Well - according to meteorologist Chad Meyers, we haven’t seen it yet and don’t know 100% if it’s there.
“They think it’s there. They believe its there because of this HARPS astronomy telescope, down in Chile. How this happens is they take a look and they shoot the star, and they see if the star wobbles. And if the star actually moves a little bit, that’s the gravity from the planet going around it. That’s where the wobble comes from. That’s how they know it’s 3.6 times heavier than the earth because it made that star wobble a little bit.” (Video source: CNN)
The planet is 35 light-years away from Earth, so we probably won't be visiting it in our lifetime. And a National Geographic writer notes, even if we did get there, it probably wouldn't be the most hospitable place.
“If we could get there, the newfound planet might seem like a fairly alien world: muggy, hot and with a gravity 1.4 times that of Earth.”
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