SCIENTISTS DISCOVER POTENTIAL FOR EARTHLIKE PLANETS
I learned from an article at the National Geographic website written by Anne Minard that new research is revealing more and more potential for the existence of Earth-like planets that could harbor life.
Anne Minard writes, "The latest computer models are telling scientists that more than a third of the star systems containing Jupiterlike gas giants may also harbor Earthlike planets." I know from taking Astronomy 101 that a gas giant is like the outer planets in our solar system, which are far enough away from the sun's heat that certain gases accumulate and condense there, forming planets that are extremely large because they are made of the vast amount of gas that exists at that temperature. Scientists theorize that considering a planet's distance from the star it orbits and the matter that would accumulate there, such a planet could be covered with liquid water and might therefore support life.
Latest advances using computer models are focused on a star system like our own in that it contains gas giants that are known as hot Jupiters. Scientists believe thatover time gas giants migrate inward. According to Anne Minard, "As they move into their near-star orbits, hot Jupiters could be playing violent games of planetary billiards that produce Earthlike planets."
Scientists think that such planets may stir up debris in the region at the right distance from a star where liquid water could exist. Water and other such debris could accumulate and form Earthlike planets.
But how many planets like this could be out there? Astronomers have detected about 200 exoplanets, and about half of them are hot Jupiters.
I found an article here at www.physorg.com that further describes the potential for Earthlike planets.
An article at CNN's website provides exciting news that is more recent than the previously mentioned articles, having been posted on September 8, 2006. According to the article, "Earthlike planets covered with deep oceans that could harbor life may be found in as many as a third of solar systems discovered outside of our own, U.S. researchers said on Thursday."
An extremely comprehensive article at the Science News website describes the theory that I have described and also presents critical viewpoints about the theory.
I learned from an article at the National Geographic website written by Anne Minard that new research is revealing more and more potential for the existence of Earth-like planets that could harbor life.
Anne Minard writes, "The latest computer models are telling scientists that more than a third of the star systems containing Jupiterlike gas giants may also harbor Earthlike planets." I know from taking Astronomy 101 that a gas giant is like the outer planets in our solar system, which are far enough away from the sun's heat that certain gases accumulate and condense there, forming planets that are extremely large because they are made of the vast amount of gas that exists at that temperature. Scientists theorize that considering a planet's distance from the star it orbits and the matter that would accumulate there, such a planet could be covered with liquid water and might therefore support life.
Latest advances using computer models are focused on a star system like our own in that it contains gas giants that are known as hot Jupiters. Scientists believe thatover time gas giants migrate inward. According to Anne Minard, "As they move into their near-star orbits, hot Jupiters could be playing violent games of planetary billiards that produce Earthlike planets."
Scientists think that such planets may stir up debris in the region at the right distance from a star where liquid water could exist. Water and other such debris could accumulate and form Earthlike planets.
But how many planets like this could be out there? Astronomers have detected about 200 exoplanets, and about half of them are hot Jupiters.
I found an article here at www.physorg.com that further describes the potential for Earthlike planets.
An article at CNN's website provides exciting news that is more recent than the previously mentioned articles, having been posted on September 8, 2006. According to the article, "Earthlike planets covered with deep oceans that could harbor life may be found in as many as a third of solar systems discovered outside of our own, U.S. researchers said on Thursday."
An extremely comprehensive article at the Science News website describes the theory that I have described and also presents critical viewpoints about the theory.
posted by Caroline at 5:50 PM
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