It’s been the Holy Grail of astronomy for decades; another Earth. Since scientists started looking at the stars, they’ve been searching for a planet that could potentially support human life. Science enthusiasts who follow experimentor_4u on Facebook have been incredibly excited by a recent discovery. In Kepler 186f, astronomers believe they might have finally found a genuine “Earth Cousin”. But what makes Kepler 186f so different to every other planet in the universe? And do those differences truly mean we might genuinely be able to live there one day?
How Did They Find Kepler 186f?
Kepler 186f is named after the Kepler spacecraft used to discover it. Kepler is a space observatory, named after the renaissance astronomer Johannes Kepler. A space observatory is a sort of high powered telescope that orbits the Sun through space, observing distant galaxies and sending the information back to Earth. The advantage of a telescope in space, rather than on Earth, is that it bypasses any disruption caused by the Earth’s atmosphere and magnetic field. So, by observing the shadows of planets as they pass in front of distant stars, Kepler is able to identify the size and location of previously unknown planets. What Kepler particularly looks for, and what it has found in Kepler 186f, are planets in the so-called “Goldilocks Zone”.
What are the Prerequisites for Life?
The Goldilocks Zone is the habitable zone around a star, so named because it’s neither too hot, nor too cold, but just right. The Earth exists in our star’s Goldilocks Zone. Being in the habitable zone means that water can water can exist in its liquid state, which is a key factor for life on Earth. Temperature and liquid water are essential to maintaining an oxygen rich atmosphere like our own. Another key element for human life is the size of the planet. The bigger the planet, the stronger the gravity, and the harder it would be for us to move. It’s important for a planet to be a similar size to the Earth so that our bodies don’t have to adjust too much to the different gravity.
Does Kepler 186f Meet Requirements?
Kepler 186f could potentially meet all these requirements for life. While it is on the far side of the habitable zone, which could mean any water would freeze, it’s believed that it’s slightly larger size could help it maintain a thicker, warmer, atmosphere to insulate the planet, and help water stay liquid. Kepler 186f’s size also makes it suitable to support human life; Kepler 186f is about 11% larger than Earth, meaning gravity would be slightly stronger, but not so strong that we’ll never adjust. While Kepler 186f does meet many prerequisites for life, there are still many difficulties and unknown qualities. Kepler 186f orbits a red dwarf star. That red dwarf star is about half the size of our own sun, and far less bright. This means humans living on Kepler 186f would experience very dim days. The brightest point at noon would only be as bright as a sunset on Earth. Just because the planet could support an atmosphere, that doesn’t mean it actually does. Scientists are yet to properly measure the chemical composition of the planet’s atmosphere. There are many factors that affect a planet’s atmosphere. Features like a liquid core have a major impact on a planet’s ability to maintain an atmosphere. Scientists still know very little about these specific features of Kepler 186f.
Could We Reach Kepler 186f?
Another major obstacle to supporting human life is the question of whether we could ever actually get there. Kepler 186f is in the constellation of Cygnus, 500 light years away. A light year is the distance that light can travel across space in a year. When you look at the red dwarf star Kepler 186, you’re not seeing it as it looks now. The light you see has actually taken 500 years to travel to your eyes. This means that, even if we could travel at the speed of light, it would still take around 500 years to reach Kepler 186f. Until an effective faster-than-light engine can be created, the prospect of human life on Kepler 186f is just a pipe dream. That said, less than a hundred years ago putting a man on the Moon seemed impossible, so who knows what’s possible.
So, Will We Be Leaving Earth Anytime Soon?
Kepler 186f is the closest cousin to Earth found yet, but there are still a great many unknown variables. The positive news is that Kepler 186f is just one of an estimated 40 billion Earth sized planets. If the Kepler spacecraft has discovered such a close Earth cousin so soon, who knows how many more amazing discoveries it will make in the future?
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