A search for exoplanets has been on for quite some time. It would be amazing to find a planet where human beings can live. It would also be amazing to find alien life. In their search for exoplanets that can support life, astrophysicist have a new tool: the history of our very own planet Earth. Here’s more from Universe Today:
Three other models reveal the transition Earth made to the present, which included the rise of photosynthetic organisms (ca. 3.5 billion years ago) and the “Great Oxygenation Event” (ca. 2.4 to 2 billion years ago). During these epochs, oxygen in our atmosphere gradually rose from a concentration of 0.2% concentration to modern-day levels of 21%. As [associate professor of astronomy at Cornell University Lisa Kaltenegger] said:
“Our Earth and the air we breathe have changed drastically since Earth formed 4.5 billion years ago, and for the first time, this paper addresses how astronomers trying to find worlds like ours, could spot young to modern Earth-like planets in transit, using our own Earth’s history as a template.”
No comments:
Post a Comment