The planet's closest exoplanet could have a vast ocean and even life – BGR

Peering on distant planets is a delicate affair for astronomers. There are many things that they can assume about planets based on what they look like from a distance, but it's still largely a guessing game. If a planet is at the right distance from its star and has the right size, scientists can dream about life on its surface, but we really can not say for sure unless we visit.

Proxima Centauri b, considered the planet's closest exoplanet, is one of those planets and new computer models telling scientists that not only is the planet habitable, but that it could welcome a vast ocean that could be perfect for life. As Science live reports, a new document published in the journal astrobiology is a tantalizing glimpse of the distant world.

Proxima Centauri B, which revolves around the nearby star Proxima Centauri, has been the subject of numerous investigations and observations in the past. It is a little more than four light years away, which is just a stone's throw away in galactic terms. The host star of the planet is small and much cooler than our Sun and therefore the habitable zone is quite close to the star itself. Proxima Centauri b is in this area, orbiting around its star once every 11 days.

Astronomers have long thought that Proxima Centauri b could be a great candidate for the search for extraterrestrial life, but some previous studies have shown that the proximity of the planet to its star could cause problems. At the beginning of the year, researchers discovered that the star's soaring star had exploded the planet, and the concern is that these events are too intense for life to last.

This new series of research suggests that the planet, which is probably locked and still facing its star on the same side rather than spinning as it revolves around, could harbor a "dynamic ocean" that circulates large amounts of water between darkness and light. sides. This is of course the best scenario for life, and climate models show that it is possible, but it is not certain.

The biggest concern for scientists who dream of Proxima Centauri's life is that the tide lock resulted in a frozen ocean on the dark side and a boiling ocean on the day's side. If this is the case, only a thin temperate ocean ribbon could be present at the edges of the transition zone. However, if the ocean can regulate its own temperature with currents that move water from one side to the other, it could be a water world full of lives.

Source of image: Carnegie