Humans have been wondering, guessing and building stories about alien life since forever. We have always been curious to see what happens in outer space and we have always asked ourselves if life on another planet is not only probable, but indeed possible.
It seems that we now hold evidence for a very possible and probable proof of alternative life. The latest discovery comes a week after NASA has announced that its Kepler spacecraft had found the closest twin to Earth, outside our solar system. Earth’s twin is called Kepler 452b and has been described by the US space agency as our planet’s older first cousin and the closest relative we have to another place “that somebody might call home”.
The planet has very familiar specifications and could host similar signs of life. It is more than 1.400 light years away, it has highly similar length of year to our planet and could offer clues of alien life in deep space.
According to the recent statements coming from NASA astronomers, the planet is “another of these super Earths basically in our backyard with an almost Earth-like orbit”. Could it be that it supports life there? Could it be that its inhabitants are similar to human beings? Could it be that we can go there and discover a new, refreshing territory of life?
It would be extremely nice for us to discover that behind all the questions there are actual facts lying, but while the planet may seem like a very challenging target for NASA’s next mission, it is highly unlikely that human beings will be capable to research its surroundings, as the distance from here to there is almost impossible. We would need no less than 1,400 light-years of traveling and many generations unfolding until we reach the final destination.
Kepler-452b is the closest confirmed exoplanet to Earth and it was announced by NASA last Thursday.
The planet is highly suitable for life, as it sits in the habitable zone of its star, where temperatures are just perfect to support life structures. What we know by now offers really exhilarating evidence about alien life. Scientists still need more data though, to confirm if Kepler-452b has a rocky surface and a thick atmosphere. This is by now the best alternative NASA has found so far for another planet that might support life. Kepler 452B is just a NASA glimpse away and we cannot wait to see more information unfolding.
Image Source: irishtimes.com
