Since ages astronomers, scientists and researchers have been searching the skies for planets that could support life. Even though no such planet has yet been found, there has been a considerable amount of progress in that direction. Over the years a number of “Super-Earths” have been discovered, a common type of exoplanet. The first Super-Earth was discovered in 1992. However, several notable super-earths were discovered the following years. In June 2013, three super-earths have been found orbiting a nearby star which in theory could support life.
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Super-Earths are extra solar planets that have masses higher than Earth’s mass but have lesser mass than other denser planets in the Solar System. However, the term does not insinuate that the atmospheric conditions of the exoplanets are similar to that of Earth.
In September 2013, a team of Japanese researchers found out that the super-earth Geliese 1214 b (GJ 1214 b), found in December 2009 and located 40 years away from Earth, has a water-rich atmosphere since its atmosphere is majorly composed of hydrogen. The planet is seven times denser than Earth and is 2.6 times Earth’s diameter. The present team used the Subaru Telescope along with blue light transmission to study the extent of Rayleigh scattering feature of the planet’s atmosphere. Observations proved that the planet’s atmosphere does not exhibit strong Rayleigh scattering, indicating that the GJ 1214 b has a water-rich atmosphere. Strong Rayleigh scattering indicates hydrogen-dominated atmosphere. A weak Rayleigh scattering also suggests a hydrogen-rich atmosphere with dense clouds.
Geliese 1214 b orbits the star GJ 1214, which is 42 light years away from Earth. It was first detected by the MEarth project in 2009. The parent star is very close to the Sun and the GJ 1214 b orbits the star every 38 hours. In 2012, when GJ 1214 b crossed in front of the parent star, the Hubble telescope examined the atmosphere and suggested that the planet had a dense atmosphere of water vapor. Some astronomers claim that the temperature of the planet is too high to support any form of life.
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We have been discovering more exoplanets lately. The Kepler Space Observatory which was launched to observe Earth-like planets orbiting other stars have confirmed 134 exoplanets and more than 3000 unconfirmed planets. According to researchers, the Milky Way consists of billions of Earth-like planets which are yet to be discovered. Whether they support life or not…only time will tell.
