For many many years, we believe that our solar system is the only solar system there. However, soon, we found out there millions of planets and solar system out there. These planets are called Exoplanets. These planets that lie beyond our solar system and revolve around other stars many light years away.
Until the past few decades, these planets were unknown to us. However, in past few decades thousands have been discovered, most of them with NASA’s Kepler Space Telescope.
Geoff Marcy, a pioneering scientist in exoplanets, declared the discovery: “as among the most profound scientific discoveries in human history… it is a bridge between the gas giant planets we’ve been finding and the earth itself.”
There are countless other planets, and we haven’t even scratched the surface ao far.
Here are some Exoplanets that proves the point.
HD 209458b: Osiris
Scientists have found that it is the only planet currently found outside of the solar system to have detectable oxygen and carbon in its atmosphere. Its parent star is 150 light years from Earth in the Pegasus constellation. Named after the Egyptian god who lost part of his body, Osiris revolves around its sun a mere 4 million miles away.
Kepler-16b: Tatooine
A planet that circles two stars. In an homage to Luke Skywalker’s home planet in Star Wars, Kepler-16b is nicknamed Tatooine. Whereas Skywalker’s homeworld was habitable, this planet is cold, gaseous and most likely cannot harbor life. It is 200 light years away from earth.
Investigator William Borucki on the importance of this discovery stated:
“This discovery confirms a new class of planetary systems that could harbor life… Given that most stars in our galaxy are part of a binary system, this means the opportunities for life are much broader than if planets form only around single stars. This milestone discovery confirms a theory that scientists have had for decades but could not prove until now.”
Kepler-22b: New Earth
Twice the size of Earth and should have temperatures around 72 degrees Fahrenheit. This planet is considered a “super-Earth” and is within the habitable zone of its star. Its star is within the Lyra and Cygnus constellations and shines 25% less bright than our sun.
Scientists think that the planet may have a rocky core and be covered in an ocean like Neptune. However, life on the planet isn’t out of the question yet. Kepler deputy science chief stated that “It’s not beyond the realm of possibility that life could exist in such an ocean.”