Ever since man became aware of the solar system we live in and the neighboring planets within that solar system. And ever since man found out that there are billions upon billions of other solar systems within billions upon billions of other galaxies out there, many holding their own number of planets. Then scientists began to understand the prerequisites that are essential for a planet to have life. We have acquired an obsession to discover whether or not we are alone in this dark expanse that contain tiny bits of fire, ice, and rocks all in perpetual motion.
So what did astronomers do?
Study other solar systems of course! Astronomers had to. We couldn't count on our own neighbors. And now, we may have finally found something.
So when researchers looked into Proxima Centauri, the closest star to our sun, they've made a very interesting discovery in the form a rocky planet now called Proxima B.
So what's the buzz?
Well, aside from confirming the existence of the rocky planet orbiting Proxima Centauri, it is within the habitable zone meaning liquid water could exist on the surface, making it the closest possible home for life outside of our solar system.
"The good news is that it is so close," Dr. Ansgar Reiners of the Institute for Astrophysics said. "It is not only nice for having it in our neighborhood, but it's a dream come true for astronomers if we think about follow-up observation."
Being 4.2 light years away from our solar system, or 266,000 times the distance between the Earth and the sun, which is approximately 92.96 million miles apart makes the planet pretty close in comparison with other exoplanets such as the ones orbiting the red dwarf star Trappist-1 which at 40 light years away.
"It's not only the closest terrestrial planet found, it's probably the closest planet outside our solar system that will ever be found because there is no star closer to the solar system than this one," said lead study author Guillem Anglada-Escudé of the School of Physics and Astronomy Queen Mary, University of London.
So far, we know that Proxima B is a rocky, terrestrial planet with a solid ground that is 1.3 times the size of Earth and orbits Proxima Centauri every 11.2 days. It is closer to it's star than Mercury and the sun. But because Proxima Centauri is much cooler than our sun, Proxima B has a temperature that is suitable enough for water to exist without evaporating making life possible.
It's still not determined whether the planet has an atmosphere or not but if it does, researchers say that it may be between 86 to 104 degrees Fahrenheit (31 to 40 degrees Celsius) on the surface.
There are many things that scientists don't know about Proxima B. One big question is regarding the history of the star and the planet. How did they form?
"What happened during the formation?" asked Reiners. "Was the star more active than the sun is today, and where during that phase was Proxima b located?"
The answers to questions like these will truly give us the key to knowing whether or not we are alone in this dark expanse we call space. As for many researchers, it's a definite fact that there is life out there but this discovery is exciting nonetheless.
"We know that there are terrestrial planets around stars. The excitement is because it's the nearest one, and we expect to characterize it and maybe visit in a couple of centuries," Anglada-Escudé said.
