The space we live in, the earth, is a very small part of the vast universe. If we continue to develop and become equipped with excellent space navigation technology, it is possible to leave Earth and prepare a new home in the distant universe. If there is no reason to claim the land due to environmental destruction and natural depletion, such migration efforts can be further accelerated. It is also something that has already been depicted in numerous films, comics and novels.
People all over the world are already looking for ‘Another Earth’. And the results are coming out bit by bit. Recently, a research team at the Max Planck Institute in Germany found a new planet that could be relocated and published the results in the international journal ‘Astronomy and Astrophysics’.
The main character is ‘Wolf 1069b’ orbiting ‘Wolf 1069’, a red dwarf star 31.2 light years away from Earth. Wolf 1069b offers the hope of migration in several ways.
First of all, it is important that it is a rocky planet. There are also planets, such as Jupiter and Saturn, where most of the mass is made of gas and there is no place to set foot on. Of course, these places are not suitable for us to live in. Like Earth, Wolf 1069b is thought to contain iron and silicate minerals.
It is similar in appearance to Earth. The mass is 1.26 times that of Earth, and the size is 1.08 times, not much difference.
The distance to the main sequence star, that is, the star that corresponds to the sun by our standards, should also be considered important. This determines the temperature of the planet. If it is too close or too far, of course life cannot live. The presence of water is also affected.
However, it is analyzed that the Wolf 1069b is better than expected in this area as well. The distance to Wolf 1069 is very close. It is only 1/15 of the distance between the Earth and our sun. Life cannot exist in our solar system.
However, the radiant energy transmitted to Wolf 1069b is actually 65% of the Earth standard. This is because Wolf 1069 is a red dwarf star. It is less than half the mass of our Sun and has a lower temperature.
As a result, the temperature of the planet is analyzed to be lower than the temperature of the Earth, but the temperature is different for each region. This is due to planetary characteristics which, by our standards, feel quite strange.
Unlike Earth, Wolf 1069b orbits with only one side facing the sun. Just as we cannot see the far side of the Moon with the naked eye, Wolf 1069b is forever illuminated from only one side. One half is endless day and the other half is night. Of course, where the day continues, the temperature is sure to be relatively high.
The researchers estimate that the average temperature of the Wolf 1069b region facing the red dwarf star is about -23 °C. It is very cold compared to Earth, but this assumes that there is no atmosphere. If there is an atmosphere, it is expected to be quite high at the level of 13 ℃. It appears to be warm enough for water to exist in a liquid state on the planet.
Depending on atmospheric conditions, the actual temperature can be high, but fortunately Wolf 1069 does not emit strong radiation. The researchers believe that the possibility of atmospheric retention is high.
Researchers are also trying to find out if life exists here. However, it seems that it will take time to detect related signals.
Reporter Youngjun Kim kyj85@etnews.com
