A dwarf star named Trappist-1 has been found about 40 light-years, or 235 trillion miles, away from Earth. The significance of this finding is that it has seven earth-size planets that orbit the star.
These seven planets could potentially have water on their surfaces, and therefore might be able to sustain life.
This has been the first realistic opportunity in the search for alien life outside of our solar system, and also in having a 'second earth' that we could inhabit.
Speaking in terms of space and the universe, the dwarf star and its planets are relatively close and their orbit orientations make them fairly easy to be studied by telescopes that are out there.
This is the first time in history that so many planets have been found orbiting the same star.
Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator of NASA’s science mission directorate, said that this was a “leap forward” in answering the question, are we alone out there?
He also went on to say that this has made promising progress in the search of another earth. “The discovery gives us a hint that finding a second Earth is not just a matter of if, but when,” said Mr. Zurbuchen.
Telescopes that currently are on earth and in orbit in space are going to be used to distinguish what type of molecules are in the atmospheric make-up of the seven planets that were discovered.
This will help in determining what type of environmental differences the planets may have between each other.
Although the planets are very similar to the size of the earth, the sun they orbit is very different from our sun.
Trappist-1 is only about eight percent of the size of the sun. The dwarf star is also much cooler in temperature compared the heat that our sun radiates.
Their solar system is also more compacted and the planets orbit around the dwarf star much faster than we do in ours.
The science community is getting very excited and so should the rest of the world, big discoveries are coming and they will hopefully come with big changes.
Even if the scientist find that these planets are lifeless, it will lead to more knowledge and understanding about what makes a planet fit to sustain life.
