GT: More Clues That Earth-Like Exoplanets Are Indeed Earth-Like

Find out the latest thinking about our universe.
Post Reply
User avatar
bystander
Apathetic Retiree
Posts: 21571
Joined: Mon Aug 28, 2006 2:06 pm
Location: Oklahoma

GT: More Clues That Earth-Like Exoplanets Are Indeed Earth-Like

Post by bystander » Fri Jun 29, 2018 4:35 pm

More Clues That Earth-Like Exoplanets Are Indeed Earth-Like
Georgia Institute of Technology | 2018 Jun 28

Research into spin dynamics suggests they have regular seasons and stable climates

A new study from the Georgia Institute of Technology provides new clues indicating that an exoplanet 500 light-years away is much like Earth.

Kepler-186f is the first identified Earth-sized planet outside the solar system orbiting a star in the habitable zone. This means it’s the proper distance from its host star for liquid water to pool on the surface.

The Georgia Tech study used simulations to analyze and identify the exoplanet’s spin axis dynamics. Those dynamics determine how much a planet tilts on its axis and how that tilt angle evolves over time. Axial tilt contributes to seasons and climate because it affects how sunlight strikes the planet’s surface.

The researchers suggest that Kepler-186f’s axial tilt is very stable, much like the Earth, making it likely that it has regular seasons and a stable climate. The Georgia Tech team thinks the same is true for Kepler-62f, a super-Earth-sized planet orbiting around a star about 1,200 light-years away from us. ...

Obliquity Variations of Habitable Zone Planets Kepler-62f and Kepler-186f - Yutong Shan, Gongjie Li
Know the quiet place within your heart and touch the rainbow of possibility; be
alive to the gentle breeze of communication, and please stop being such a jerk.
— Garrison Keillor

Post Reply