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More than 4,500 exoplanets have been discovered to date, with only a small part believed to have the properties of containing life. A new study suggests that some of these planets and any extraterrestrial life that lives there can also see us.
The research, published in the scientific journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, identified 1,004 stars similar to our sun that may have Earth-like planets in their orbit. These star systems have a “direct line of sight to observe the biological qualities of the Earth from far, far away,” according to a statement accompanying the research.
“Let’s reverse the point of view of that of other stars and ask from what point of view other observers might find Earth as a planet in transit,” said Lisa Kaltenegger, associate professor of astronomy and director of the ‘Carl Sagan Institute at Cornell University.
The pale blue dot is a photograph of Earth taken on February 14, 1990 by NASA’s Voyager 1 at a distance of 3.7 billion miles (6 billion kilometers) from the sun. (NASA / JPL-Caltech)
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“If observers were out there looking, they could see signs of a biosphere in our Pale Blue Dot’s atmosphere,” Kaltenegger added.
Sagan, one of the world’s most famous astronomers, was instrumental in the “Pale Blue Dot” photo taken by NASA’s Voyager 1 spacecraft in February 1990, looking at the Earth at over 3.7 billion of kilometers.
The results, while stimulating, are limited by the length of time each of the star systems can observe Earth, the researchers noted. Only 508 of them are able to “guarantee a minimum of 10 [hour] long observation of the transit of the Earth, ”the researchers wrote in the study.
Study co-author Joshua Pepper said that “only a very small fraction” of exoplanets could line up just so those on Earth could see their transit, but all of the 1,004 identified in the article can see us, potentially attracting their attention. . “
It’s also possible that life on these planets could exist for billions of years, given the properties they are believed to possess, a sign that they require further study.
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These planets have been observed due to transit observations, or when an object passes in front of a star, darkening the star, allowing astronomers to see it. This type of observation will be expanded when NASA launches its James Webb Space Telescope in October 2021. If an extraterrestrial civilization had its own advanced equipment, similar to JWST, perhaps it could see us as well.
“If we found a planet with a vibrant biosphere, we would be curious whether someone is watching us too or not,” Kaltenegger explained. “If we are looking for intelligent life in the universe, it might find us and want to get in touch. We’ve just created the star map where we need to look first. “
In June, a separate group of researchers suggested that there are 36 “intelligent civilizations” in the Milky Way galaxy, a calculation that experts have dubbed “the Copernican astrobiological limit.”
A separate study published in mid-May suggested that not only was “the universe teeming with life” but that it was “the preferred bet.”
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