#habitable worlds

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January 30th 2024 - Here’s some Universe Sandbox shenanigans from yesterday. I decided to create an orange dwarf and create a whole bunch of planets that orbit around it - and I succeeded at making two of them habitable! It was incredible!

Could you imagine living around a star and being able to see your neighbouring planets dominate the sky? That would be breathtaking. Next time I want to create a system with three or more habitable worlds!

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(NASA/JPL)  TRAPPIST-1: Weirdest habitable worlds

A new discovery by NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope has revealed seven Earth-sized planets around the M dwarf star known as TRAPPIST-1. Three of them lie in what is known as the habitable zone -- where there is the potential for liquid water. It is the largest batch of Earth-sized worlds ever discovered in the habitable zone of a single star. While we don’t know if there is life on the TRAPPIST-1 planets, we do know that any life discovered there would likely be very different from life on Earth. It would have to survive the stormy solar flares of an M dwarf, adapt to a planet that might have extreme temperature swings, and thrive in red and infrared light. All seven worlds are early ambassadors of a new generation of planet-hunting targets that promise a new vision of the word “habitable.”

For more information about life around an M dwarf, visit: https://exoplanets.nasa.gov/news/1416 

For more information about TRAPPIST-1, visit: https://exoplanets.nasa.gov/trappist1 

Image credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ESO/E.Jehin/J. Major

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TOI-1452b: The Real “Water World” Planet Explained

TOI-1452b is an exoplanet identified by TESS, known for its vast, global oceans hidden beneath a thick icy crust. Its dense atmosphere and possible ice layers set it apart from other ocean worlds like Europa. These conditions might support life similar to Earth’s deep-sea vents. Scientists study its unique environment to better understand planetary habitability. Exploring TOI-1452b opens new…

TOI-1452b: The Real “Water World” Planet Explained

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Stellar Spots: Your Guide to Amazing Sunspots

Unveiling Stellar Complexity: Beyond Smooth Disks The assumption that stars appear as uniformly bright disks has long been a cornerstone of exoplanet research. However, observations of our own Sun clearly demonstrate that stars are far more complex, exhibiting variations in brightness due to stellar spots – temporary dark areas on the star’s surface caused by intense magnetic activity. Accurately…

Stellar Spots: Your Guide to Amazing Sunspots

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New NASA research is helping to refine our understanding of candidate planets beyond our solar system that might support life.

Using models to help find biosignatures on exoplanets.

[bowlerhatscience]

A possible ocean like ours on the moon Europa

A possible ocean like ours on the moon Europa

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Europa’s Salty Sea

My first contribution to the brand-new magazine Hakai:

You can find bits and pieces of Earth seemingly scattered around the solar system. The surface of Mars looks a lot like Earth’s deserts; Titan’s atmosphere isn’t far off (minus a lack of…

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