Alien Oceans May Flow on 'Super-Earth' Planets



Alien worlds more massive than Earth could harbor long-lasting oceans, according to new research. 

Scientists have used computer modeling to show that so-called "super-Earth" planets — worlds that are up to five times more massive than Earth — can play host to long-lived oceans. The modeling shows that the oceans can potentially remain on the planet for billions of years, possibly allowing life to develop on the alien planet. Researchers presented the new super-Earth findings during a news conference at the 225th meeting of the American Astronomical Society here in Seattle. 

"When people consider whether a planet is in the habitable zone, they think about its distance from the star and its temperature," lead author of the super-Earth study Laura Schaefer of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (CfA) in Cambridge, Massachusetts said in a statement. "However, they should also think about oceans, and look at super-Earths to find a good sailing or surfing destination." 

This artist’s depiction shows a gas giant planet rising over the horizon of an alien waterworld. New research shows that oceans on super-Earths, once established, can last for billions of years

Scientists think that Earth's oceans have existed for almost the entire history of the planet, and water is key to life as humanity understands it. Therefore, finding other worlds with long-lived oceans could help scientists narrow down planets that might have a good chance of hosting life. 

Earth's oceans are recycled. Water from the planet's oceans is pulled into the mantle from the crust due to geological activity, but water is also released from the mantle and back into the surface oceans through volcanic activity. The new computer model produced by Schaefer and her team was designed to test if this water recycling can occur on super-Earths with plate tectonics as well, according to the CfA. 

In fact, some planets larger than Earth could be even better at maintaining oceans than this planet. Schaefer's model shows that a planet two to four times the mass of Earth could host oceans continuously for 10 billion years. The largest planet in the study, which was about five times more massive than Earth, didn't develop an ocean in the computer model for about 1 billion years, but those planets' oceans, once formed, continue to persist on the surface for a long amount of time. . 

Schaefer and her team suggest that it might be better to hunt for life on older super-Earths. Researchers might have a better chance of finding complex life on planets that are 1 billion years older than Earth, the team said. 

"It takes time to develop the chemical processes for life on a global scale, and time for life to change a planet's atmosphere," the CfA's Dimitar Sasselov, a co-author on the study, said in a statement. "So, it takes time for life to become detectable."

This article originally appeared in : Alien Oceans May Flow on 'Super-Earth' Planets | SPACE.com | By Miriam Kramer | Mon, Jan 5, 2015

No comments:

Post a Comment

Abraham Lincoln Accident Acting Adele Adolf Hitler Ahok Air Susu Ibu Aisha Gaddafi Albert Einstein Alicia Keys Alien Amanda Knox American Idol Amitabh Bachchan Amy Winehouse Angelina Jolie Animal Anna Chapman Anti Islam Apple Archeology Arnold Schwarzenegger Artist Aung San Suu Kyi Autism Avatar Ayman Al-Zawahri Barack Obama Bencana Alam Berpelukan Beyonce Bill Gates Biography Blake Fielder Blog Bollywood Bon Jovi Brad Pitt Britney Spears Brittany Murphy Broadway Bruce Willis Bryan Adams Buah - Buahan Budaya Cameron Diaz Carla Bruni Celebration Celebrity Cell Phone Charlie Sheen Cheryl Cole Christina Aguilera Christopher Tierney Computer Conspiracy Covid-19 Credit Card Criminal Cristiano Ronaldo David Cameron David Walliams Demi Moore Depression Diet Dinosaurs Disaster Discovery Disease Donald Trump Dosa Economic Elin Nordegren Elton John Elvis Presley Evolution Facebook Famous Farrah Fawcett Fashion Fenomena Fidel Castro Film Finance Fisikologi Anak Frank Sinatra Games Gary Lineker Global Warming Grammy Awards Guns N' Roses Haji Halle Berry Harry Potter Health Helen Mirren Helena Christensen History Hoaxes Holiday Hollywood Home Hong Kong Hugo Chavez Humanity Humor Ibadah Ibadah Ramadhan iChildren Indonesia Innocence of Muslims Insomnia Insurance Internet Irina Shayk Isaac Newton James Franco Jane Fonda Janet Jackson Javier Bardem Jennifer Aniston Jennifer Lopez Jermaine Jackson Jesus Jewelry Jhon Terry Joaquin Phoenix John Lennon John Prescott Jokowi Journalism Julia Roberts Justin Bieber Karina Smirnoff Kate Middleton Katherine Heigl Katy Perry Kehamilan Kendra Wilkinson Kesehatan Payudara Kesehatan Rambut Kiamat Kim Kardashian King Abdullah King Abdullah II King Salman Kiyai Korupsi Indonesia Kristen Stewar Lady Diana Lady GaGa Law Lee DeWyze Legend Leonardo DiCaprio Lifestyle Lily Allen Lindsay Lohan Lionel Messi Madonna Margaret Thatcher Mariah Carey Marilyn Monroe Mario Balotelli Mark Zuckerberg Marriage Mel Gibson Michael Jackson Michelle Obama Mick Foley Mick Jagger Mike Tyson Miley Cyrus Miranda Kerr Miss Universe Mistery Mitos dan Fakta Moammar Gadhafi Modelling Moments Mona Lisa Money Mothers Music Mystery Naomi Watts Nelly Furtado News Nia Sanchez Nicolas Cage No Smoking Nuclear Obat - Obatan Olivia Newton-John's Oprah Winfrey Orang Kantoran Orde Baru Osama bin Laden Oscars Pamela Anderson Pandemi Parent Paris Hilton Pasangan Hidup Patricia Neal Paul McCartney Pejabat Pendidikan Penelope Cruz Performers Permainan Anak Personality Photo Pippa Middleton Pisikologi Remaja PNNU Politics Pollution Pope Prabowo Presiden Prince Charles Prince Felipe Prince George Prince Harry Prince Philip Prince Salman Prince William Princess Princess Diana Princess Lilian Princess Victoria Producer Produk Kecantikan Queen Elizabeth Queen Helen Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Relationships Religion Resolusi Jihad Ri Sul-Ju Ricky Martin Rihanna Rokok Rolling Stone Royal Baby Royal Family Salma Hayek Sandra Bullock Sarah Palin Scandal Science Scientists Selena Gomez Sepak Bola Serena Williams Shah Rukh Khan Sharon Stone Simon Cowell Soekarno Songwriter Sophie Reade Space Spiritual Sport Storm Stress Suami Isteri Super Bowl Sylvester Stallone Taylor Swift's Technology Television Tentara Teroris Tiger Woods Tips and Tricks Tips Kesehatan Tips Komputer Tips Pria TKR TNU Tom Cruise Tony Curtis Top 10 Travel Vaksinasi Van Halen Vatican Victoria Beckham Virus Wag Wedding Whitney Houston Woman Woody Allen World World Cup Yahudi Yoga Zsa Zsa Gabor