From The Independent
A little-known planet 111 light years away could be a ‘scaled-up version of Earth’ which is able to host alien life, according to new research.Read more: http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/k2-18b-super-earth-alien-life-discovery-nasa-university-of-montreal-a8094071.htmlThe distant exoplanet is known as K2-18b and has been described as being a potential ‘Super-Earth’ - a large rocky planet with the potential to support life.
It orbits within its star’s habitable zone, which means there’s a chance it could hold liquid water on its surface, which is a key component for the possibility of life as we know it.
The new study, by researchers at the University of Texas, Scarborough, and University of Montreal, Canada, was carried out using data from the European Southern Observatory (ESO).
They also discovered for the first time that the planet has a neighbour, called K2-18b.
Both planets orbit the red-dwarf star K2-18, which is 111 light years from Earth in the Leo constellation.
Lead author Ryan Cloutier, from the University of Montreal, said: “Being able to measure the mass and density of K2-18b was tremendous, but to discover a new exoplanet was lucky and equally exciting.”
It feels like they are finding new planets that are candidates for alien life and relatively close every week now. I want to believe!
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This Universe is far bigger than our wildest imaginations and equipments that we use. We already have many many plantes that are supporting some sort of life form weather or not if somebody acknowledges this on Earth. In my opinion not all those life forms are intelligent but we are not the "default" creatures on this universe we are just part of this many many layerd existence and it has far more developed species than we can ever be.