BILLIONS of Super-Earths in HABITABLE ZONES!

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Thread started 04/01/12 9:10am

imago

BILLIONS of Super-Earths in HABITABLE ZONES!

Scientist have just concluded that 40% of Red Dwarf stars, by far the most common star in the Galaxy, or at least the portion of the galaxy closest to our sun, have at least one Super Earth orbiting them. This is indeed big news. In order to understand the significance of this announcement, one must understand the exact nature of Red dwarfs compared to our sun, and why these Super Earths are so enticing.

Red Dwarfs are in many ways more desirable than the Sun, though in some ways less. First, there are no red dwarfs that have even remotely neared the end of their infancy. That’s not to say that all red dwarfs are recent additions to our universe. Indeed, some of them have been around for billions of years longer than the Sun itself. However, because red dwarfs are low mass stars ( ½ the mass of the sun or smaller), they burn through their fuel at a much slower rate…a much, much, much slower rate. Indeed, the Sun, a large specimen of yellow dwarf star, has a lifespan that will last 10 billions years, where a red dwarf’s lifespan is measured in hundreds of billions of years (or more depending on size). They provide a stable main sequence environment for planets for a comparative infinity compared to stars like the sun (that’s not to say the 2 ½ billion years life have existed on Earth are exactly short by our standards).

Also, it’s been shown that red dwarfs have high likelihood of containing Super Earths in their goldilocks zone--the zone around a star that will support the formation of liquid water (Venus, Earth, and Mars are all in the Goldilocks zone). A Super Earth is a planet whose mass is 1.5 times larger to 10 times larger than the earth on average. The planets on the lower end of that spectrum are definitely believed to be rocky, while planets with 5 to 10 earth masses are sometimes referred to as Small Neptunes—no one knows for sure.

The main reason is that the more massive a planet, the more likely it will attract more gases to form a dense atmosphere—often too dense to support life as we would know it, or sometimes, so dense, that the rocky planet ends up being a rocky core to a gas giant. Neptune itself is a little over 4 earths in diameter, so although nowhere near the size of Jupter, it’s no small globe in the sky. Also, being in the Goldilocks zone with such dense atmospheres means the likelihood of a runaway greenhouse effect, much like what we see on Venus, which although just a smidgeon smaller than earth, has a crushingly dense atmosphere and temperatures in excess of 700 degrees Fahrenheit.

However, Super Earths have one distinct advantage to smaller planets---they will most certainly, if rocky, poses plate technonics (Earth is lucky to have plate techtonics given it's small size and mass. Mars and Venus don't). This means their atmospheres and ocean salinity will remain relatively stable, and planet’s minerals will be recycled. Plate techtonics is now viewed as more than an oddity or a pestilence (thanks to the volcanic and seismic activity they spawn), but as a necessary element for life as we know it.

So, we now know that 40% of red dwarfs definitely have at least one Super Earth in their Goldilocks zone, that these planets will likely have plate tectonics and be potentially the right temperature to support liquid water, and thus life. Moreover, we know that there are at least 150 such known red dwarfs within our neck of the woods---30 light-years of the Sun. If one does the math, and the European Space Agency has done the math, this adds up to tens of billions of Super Earths surrounding the most common type of star in our galaxy in the prime piece of real estate within the stars range of orbit.

The next few years are going to be amazing.

[Edited 4/1/12 9:20am]

imago	LadyCasanova said: For some reason I thought this was going to be about Imago's anus I've just added you to my poo list!!!
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imago	LadyCasanova said: imago said: I've just added you to my poo list!!! I never thought id get that close to your ass, should I bring a gift? With all those names it must be pretty spacious It's as small, perky, and tight as a singularity.
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imago	NDRU said: Dave1992 said: I read about the "super-earth" a couple of months ago already! OK I am just on guard for anything anyone says today! oh it's April 1!!! It's April 2 here I'm not kidding. The Earth really is round.
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imago	kewlschool said: imago said: It's as small, perky, and tight as a singularity. In what alternative universe? my poo list grows!!!!
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ThisOne	imago said: kewlschool said: In what alternative universe? my poo list grows!!!! your poo list is lost in space mailto:www.iDon'tThinkSo.com.Uranus
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