Paige Giffault
The question "are we alone" has been a controversial and unanswered question ever since man was on earth. We have strived to find the answers of creation through science and we look to the universe as a big unknown. The exploration of space has been mankind's mission every since we were first able to successfully send someone into orbit. Since then, we have been taking steps to acquire more knowledge about space and the universe, since so little is actually known about it. We have also been searching for other solar systems in hopes of finding a planet similar to earth.
NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope has discovered seven planets circling a single parent star. According to the initial findings and data, three of these seven planets are in the habitable zone and may resemble an atmosphere simpler to the one on earth. It is also possible that these planets have liquid water, which is key for life forms to survive. This discovery is a great advancement for our exploration of space because it is the largest tuber of habitable planets found around a single star. It is even possible that all seven could contain water and similar atmospheric conditions.
This system of planets is about 40 light years away. Meaning, if we could travel at the speed of light, which we have not figured out how to do yet, it would take 40 years to do so. Although this may seem far at first, it is actually relatively close to our solar system and actually lie just outside it. This system of planets as a whole is called TRAPPIST-1 (The Transiting Planet and Planetesimals Small Telescope).
The Spitzer telescope was able to collect data from these seven planets so that their sizes and density could be measured and estimated. Based on the collected data and measurements, it appears that the conditions are most likely rocky and possibly have water, but that cannot be confirmed. The farthest of the seven planets is predicted to have more ice, but, again, these are just conclusions based no the limited data given. Further investigation by the Hubble team further strengthened the assumption that the conditions of the two innermost planets are rocky since there was no found evidence of hydrogen-dominated atmospheres.
According to the data, the planet star in which the seven planets are circling is very different from our sun star. In fact, the planet star is much cooler and it is predicted that planets that are close in proximity could be able to sustain liquid water. It is also revealed that unlike the planets in our solar system, these seven planets are extremely close together. Meaning, if you were to stand on one planet, the geological features of another close planet could be visible. Also, the planets could have different weather patterns due to the location of the planet in reference to the star.
Overall, this discovery offers many opportunities for further research and advancements. The TRAPPIST-1 system is still being studied and data is still being collected and analyzed. The confirmation of the existence of this system in itself is a huge advancement in science and space exploration and will hopefully allow us to further progress.
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