NASA News: 2 New Planets May Add Proof for Chance of Life Beyond Earth, Scientists Say
In the long and arduous road toward finding chances of life beyond Earth's solar system, two new finds are considered by scientists as the newest additions to evidence that could lead to conclusions about the theory.
According to CNN, scientists recently discovered a rocky planet located at the edge of our solar system and named it GJ 1132b. It's almost the size of Earth and according to astronomers, it is yet the most potential planet found that could help prove life beyond Earth's boundaries.
Brad Tucker, an astronomer from Mount Stromlo Observatory who isn't part of the new study but has read through the paper, said the planet "probably gives us the best chance for life outside our solar system right now."
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In the report published in the journal Nature, the scientists behind its discovery said the planet has radius of not 16 percent larger than that of Earth, and while its temperatures are too hot to retain liquid water at up to 260 degrees Celsius, it is cool enough to possibly support some basic forms of life such as bacteria.
Drake Deming, an astronomer at the University of Maryland, and member of the team behind the discovery, said, "GJ 1132b [is] arguably the most important planet ever found outside the solar system."
Unlike any other Earth-like planet to date, its surface is less harsh and completes an orbit, thus allowing for further studies including measurement, that could lead to more precise research and results.
The second find that adds up to the most recent breakthroughs in the theory of alien life, scientists found a seemingly icy planet measuring about 500 to 1,000 km wide and named it V774104.
Tucker also commented on the new discovery, saying it has confirmed that Earth's solar system is way, way complicated than what the experts think they know of. This is because the object was found 15.4 billion km (9.6 billion miles) away from the sun.
The two new objects are not only an addition to the ever-growing list of finds to provide evidence for life outside Earth but can also be used by other scientists to further study the boundaries of man's solar system.
