Scientists have discovered an atmosphere on a planet similar to the Earth
This is a small exoplanet, known as GJ 1132b, with a radius of 1.4 earth is from us at a distance of 39 light years.
Watching her, the scientists came to the conclusion that it is surrounded by a thick layer of gaseous fumes — whether of water, or methane, or both.
Detection of the atmosphere and its description is an important part of the search for life beyond the Solar system.
However, it is unlikely habitable, as the temperature at the surface of the planet is 370 With
“As far as I know, the hottest temperatures that organic life is able to endure on Earth, is 120 s, and it is much “colder” than the planet,” says John Southworth, senior researcher Kolskogo University in the English County of Staffordshire.
“Water world”?
About the discovery of the planet GJ 1132b was first announced in 2015. It is in the constellation of the Sail in the southern hemisphere of the sky.
In size it is similar to Earth, however, the size of the star around which it revolves, is much smaller and the star is colder and not as bright as the Sun
Using a telescope installed at European southern Observatory in Chile, scientists were able to study the planet, recording bands emitted by a star of the waves as soon as the planet made momentum around it.
“Because of this [movement] her star looks much less bright, and this is a good way of detecting moving planets — so we have this and recognized,” said John Southworth.
Since different molecules in the planet’s atmosphere — if it exists at all, is refract the light differently, it allows scientists to study their chemical composition, when the planet is on the background of its star.
“There is a possibility that it is a water world with an atmosphere of hot steam,” said the head of the group.
Scientists say that this important finding, despite the fact that this particular planet is unlikely to have a life.
“What we have demonstrated is the fact that planets orbiting low-mass stars, the atmosphere, and since their Universe very much, the likelihood that one of them is life, increases”, — says Southworth.
Commenting on the results of these observations, the representative of the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, Marek Kukula said: “This is a good confirmation of the existing theory. If today’s technology allowed us to recognize the presence of the atmosphere, that is, all prerequisites to ensure that in the not too distant future we will be able to find and to study the atmosphere of other Earth-like planets.”
A new study of the planet GJ 1132b published in the “Astronomical Journal (Astronomical journal”).