Are There Any Other Planets That Could Host Life?

Most have probably wondered if human kind can ever inhabit other planets. How incredible would it be if the population could not only travel to space, but also colonize it? All could take advantage of resources found in other planets, like fresh water, which seems to be at a steady decrease on Earth from over-consumption,  waste and pollution. Additionally, with almost 8 billion people living on this planet, overpopulation is increasing at an alarming rate and through the progression of technology, pollution, deforestation and other negative factors seem to be affecting the planet, causing climate change and holes in the ozone layer.  Could living and spreading human kind between other planets be the solution to these distressing issues? If so, are there any planets that could potentially fit the bill?

According to CNN, a few planets have been recently discovered that could potentially host life, much like Earth. They are thousands of light-years away which corresponds to trillions of miles and are located in another solar system, one that holds 5 different planets and a host star. Only three are considered potentially adequate for hosting human life: Kepler 62-c, Kepler 62-f and Kepler 62-e.

Studies have concluded that Kepler-f is the planet that most resembles earth. It is located in the “habitable zone” of a star, which is the area where a planet is most likely to hold liquid water in a solar system. According to William Borucki, Kepler science principal investigator at NASA Ames Research Center, “Kepler-f could be rocky with polar caps, land mass and water as well. It goes around its star once every 267.3 days (Earth days, that is).” Because the planet is at least 40% larger and farther from its host star than Earth, it receives less light from the star than Earth does. According to NASA, “The size of Kepler-62f is now measured, but its mass and composition are not.” This basically means that though it is possible that Kepler-f is a planet where life could thrive, there are certain elements of it that have not been tested. These elements include atmosphere and elements that make up the planet’s surface.

kepler f A picture of Kepler-f above.

While we don’t know if we can potentially inhabit other planets in the future, Kepler-f and a few other planets recently found are some of our best hopes for space colonization and human expansion outside of Earth. As technology improves, scientists have been able to pinpoint planets such as Kepler-f and as humans become more knowledgeable about them maybe one day humans will be able to call Earth their second home.

 

2 thoughts on “Are There Any Other Planets That Could Host Life?

  1. zrl5024

    Such discoveries of other planets and their abilities to help sustain life with crucial resources is an exciting thing to hear. I do however wonder how plausible it would be to divide humans in varying capacities onto different planets as I’m sure there are different percentages of the amount of resources available. It may help us to a certain degree, but at some point these planets will be looted of all they can offer and then what if there are no other planets that can help maintain our existence. Grant it that would be a long time from now, but something to definitely consider.

  2. Eric Choi

    This is definitely interesting to hear that there are other planets out there that are capable of sustaining life. One cannot know for sure how long our Earth will be able to hold up in terms of sustaining human life. That’s why it is so important to look for alternative places to live. I have no idea when we will have the capable technology in order to send people to these planets that are so so far away. This article reminds me of Interstellar and how they were at a distant planet for only a couple of hours, which translated to 20 years going past back at Earth. The point is, this whole process will take time. Lots of it. At least we are getting started on working on some of the technology necessary for space travel. Check out this article.

Comments are closed.