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Scientists have discovered that Kepler-186f is even more similar to Earth than previously thought, and could be liveable. The planet seems to have seasons and a climate, thanks to its stable axial inclination.
Kepler-186f is an exoplanet, that is, it is outside our solar system, 500 light-years away. Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have used simulations to badyze and identify the dynamics of the spin axis of the exoplanet, which determines how far a planet slopes down its axis and how that changes with time.
The study shows the axial tilt of Kepler-186f to be stable, like the Earth. The axial tilt of a planet creates seasons and climates because of the way it affects the sunlight that hits the surface, so research suggests that it could have regular seasons.
The same is true for Kepler-62f planet orbiting a star about 1200 light-years away from us. Kepler-62f was considered the closest exoplanet to the Earth until Kepler-186f was discovered in 2014. It orbits around a star in the habitable zone, which means that his distance from his star is sufficient for the tide.
Scientists believe that the variability of an axial inclination can explain why Mars went from an aquatic planet to a sterile planet.
"Mars is in the habitable zone of our solar system, but its axial inclination has been very unstable – ranging from zero to 60 degrees," said the main author of the system. study, Georgia Tech Assistant Professor Gongjie Li. "This instability has probably contributed to the degradation of the Martian atmosphere and the evaporation of surface water."
The axial inclination of the Earth varies between 22.1 and 24.5 degrees every 10,000 years or more.
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