Recently, according to CTV News, a couple of scientists have discovered seven planets orbiting a star. This solar system is about forty light years away from ours. Scientists have named this new solar system TRAPPIST-1 and it is much smaller than our own. Only three of the seven planets are capable of life due to the fact that they are currently in the "Goldilocks" zone. This zone is capable of sustaining life. Also, The seven planets show a potential sign of water, according to an article published on Wednesday by Journal Nature. It has been so long since we have discovered planets and a sun so similar to our solar system. What is also really cool about this discovery is that these planet could actually sustain life. Each planet is similar to Venus and Earth. We found the sun using combinations of Earth made telescopes and also with the help of Hubble and Spitzer space telescopes. Although the planets are quite close to their sun, the heat of the star is not as intense as ours, which means that there could be signs of life on the planets.
Scientists have compared the dwarf sun and its planets to the size of Jupiter and its moons. Due to greenhouse gases, the days and nights will make the planet's temperatures the same. The planets are also tidally locked which means that one side is always facing the sun. The size of the planet itself is only 8% the size of the sun. Suns like these usually burn cooler and last longer. This star is around 200 times dimmer than our sun. The only planet that might be close to sustaining life is cooler than Earth, but according to Triaud, "Temperature should be fine", but only if the greenhouse gas forms an atmosphere.
B.Z.
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