Life may exist on the most ancient planets in the galaxy, astronomers say
NEW YORK, BRONX (ORDO News) — New research in astrobiology confirms that the oldest planets in the Milky Way were likely born 5 billion years earlier than our Earth.
This discovery raises interesting questions about the possible existence of an older and even more advanced form of alien life on these mysterious worlds.
Astrobiologists argue that certain conditions are necessary for life to exist, such as the presence of oxygen in the atmosphere, protection from dangerous radiation and the presence of liquid water.
Although large continents are not considered essential for life, they play an important role in its thriving on Earth.
However, as the study shows, continents may have appeared on other planets much earlier, providing a basis for the evolution of living organisms.
Astronomer Jane Greaves from Cardiff University wondered about the timing of the appearance of the first continents on planets in our galaxy. Her research found that continents on two exoplanets may have formed 4-5 billion years earlier than those on Earth.
This opens up the possibility of an older and perhaps more advanced form of life on these mysterious worlds.
If life on these planets had a head start of 5 billion years, Greaves said, it “could potentially harbor life more advanced than ours.” This finding increases the chances of discovering alien life and highlights the importance of further research in this area.
Greaves used data on radioactive elements in nearby stars to determine when the first continents appeared on their planets. Her findings indicate that the first continents arose on nearby sun-like stars about 2 billion years earlier than on Earth.
Two stars, HD 76932 and HD 201891, slightly smaller in size than our Sun, stand out among the many studied. Their planets could have formed continents 5 billion years earlier than Earth.
This makes them potentially more suitable for the development of biospheres older than our planet.
These discoveries challenge our understanding of the timing and possibility of life in the Universe.
Hopes for detecting signs of alien life remain high, especially with the future launch of NASA‘s Habitable Worlds Observatory in the 2040s. Analyzing more stars will help scientists determine how common worlds with life older and more advanced than on Earth might be.
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News agencies contributed to this report, edited and published by ORDO News editors.
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