|
Credit & Copyright: Planetary Habitability Laboratory
(UPR Arecibo)
Explanation:
Is Earth the only known world that can support life?
In an effort to find life-habitable worlds outside our
Solar System,
stars similar to our Sun are being monitored for slight light decreases that indicate
eclipsing planets.
Many previously-unknown planets are being found, including
over 700 worlds recently uncovered by NASA's Kepler satellite.
Depicted above in artist's illustrations are twelve extrasolar planets
that orbit in the
habitable zones
of their parent stars.
These exoplanets
have the right temperature for water to be a liquid on their surfaces,
and so water-based life on Earth might be able to survive on them.
Although technology cannot yet detect resident life, finding
habitable exoplanets is a step that helps humanity to better understand its place in the cosmos.
|
January February March April May June July August September October November December |
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: life
Publications with words: life
See also: