Kepler 452b: Hot and heavy - but could humans live on distant planet dubbed 'Earth 2'?
DESPITE taking millions of years to reach exoplanet Kepler 452-b, do scientists believe humans could survive of Earth's distant "bigger, older cousin"?.
Kepler project scientists, who use the telescope of the same name to track down Earth-like planets - estimate 452-b is 60 per cent bigger and probably weighs five times as much as our own planet.
The five times bigger mass would make Kepler 452-b's gravitational pull at least twice as strong as on Earth - something humans would find very difficult to deal with, as possible space explorers would feel twice as heavy.
According to NASA scientists who unveiled the discovery of the planet last week, if humans ever reached Kepler 452-b we would eventually evolve into much stockier beings because of this force.
Jon Jenkins, of NASA’s Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, California, said: "It might be quite challenging at first.”
But the NASA experts also pointed out there were people on Earth who still functioned, albeit sluggishly, despite being twice or more their required body mass.
John Grunsfield, a former astronaut and associate administrator of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, said humans could cope as firefighters, soldiers and backpackers often carry heavy loads, which mimick the effect of stronger gravity.
He said: "If we were there, we’d get stronger.
“Our bones would actually get stronger. It would be like a workout every day.
“I suspect that, over time, we would adapt to the conditions, and perhaps become stockier over a long period of many generations.”
However, different gravity aside, Kepler-452b should look quite familiar as it orbits a star at about the same distance at which the Earth orbits the Sun.
Mr Jenkins added: "It would feel a lot like home, from the standpoint of the sunshine that you would experience.
Structure of the Lead
WHO- Kepler project scientists, Jon Jenkins, NASA scientists ,Mr Jenkins
WHEN- Not given
WHAT- 452-b is 60 per cent bigger and probably weighs five times as much as our own planet.
WHY- Because the force human beings will become stockier
WHERE-
HOW - Not given
keywords
1. unveil 公開
1. unveil 公開
2. stockier 結實的
3. albeit 雖然;僅管
4.sluggishly 緩慢地
5.administrator 管理者
6.mimick 模仿
7.functioned 起作用的
8.orbit 軌道
9.standpoint 立場;觀點
Now day, people are dedicated in the study of planet in the universe. Trying to find planets similar to Earth. How amazing that people can do that. I think there are still many mysteries waiting people to explored in the universe.
回覆刪除I never heard a planet called Kepler 452-b before.I can't imagine there is a planet like earth, which makes me feel like home.Human's technology is so amazing that we may be live on other planet in one day!
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回覆刪除It's happy to heard that there have another "Earth". But if one day people are going to live on Kepler 452-b, we need to know how to protect it. Don't treat it like how we treat Earth now
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