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Scientists have found out how many planets have water

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(Planet Today) Scientists now believe that water planets are much more common, but the water there could be mixed with rocks or underground, rather than as surface oceans.

Water is one of the most important components of all life on Earth, and it is what scientists most often look for in habitable exoplanets. But it turns out that water-rich worlds are far more common in the Milky Way Galaxy than we first thought, a new study has found.

The findings of this study, published in the peer-reviewed academic journal Science, shed light on the prevalence of water in the universe, which could potentially be a game-changer in the search for strange new habitable worlds.

Contrary to popular belief, it is not surprising that water can be found outside the Earth. In fact, water is already surprisingly widespread in the universe.

Even in our own solar system, while very faint traces of water can be found in the atmospheres of other planets, many asteroids likely have significant amounts of water—in fact, some scientists suggest that most of Earth’s water came from asteroid impacts.

Water can also be found on moons, with several moons in the solar system, such as Jupiter’s moons Ganymede and Europa, supposedly containing large amounts of water.

Contrary to popular belief, other planets are also known to have water, though not necessarily the planets in our solar system.

But how common is it? It turns out, much more often than we thought at first. Water is not an ocean on the surface, but either mixes with rock or forms pools and oceans below the surface. This is not unprecedented – this is what scientists expect is happening on Europa.

These findings are significant because, while they may not be signs of life, they confirm previous theories about planet formation. But, unfortunately, the study is not perfect. While there is plenty of evidence to support scientists’ hypothesis, they need more undeniable concrete evidence that these planets have water.

NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has capabilities far beyond those of other space telescopes, allowing much more detailed exploration of exoplanets. This includes being able to see the chemical composition of a planet based on how light reflects through it. But time will tell if NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope confirms these theories.

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Alien space debris stuck in Earth’s orbit, researchers say

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Recently, a group of experts from Harvard University, led by physics
professor Avi Loeb, announced the possible presence of alien space
debris in Earth’s orbit, reports the Daily Star.

Leading
space research expert Professor Loeb is confident that the discovery of
such “interstellar objects could help expand our knowledge of possible
alien civilizations and technologies. A team of scientists is conducting
research to confirm that some of the objects in our orbit may be
connected to other star systems.

During an interview with Live
Science, Professor Loeb explained that these objects could enter the
solar system from interstellar space, defying Jupiter’s gravitational
pull and occupying limited orbits around the sun.

Some of them may
have technological origins similar to the probes sent by mankind into
interstellar space, such as Voyager 1 and Voyager 2, Pioneer 10 and 11
and New Horizons.

However,
despite these interesting assumptions, Professor Loeb did not specify
what specific objects he was talking about. In his research report, he
notes that there could be “a significant number” of potentially
detectable objects in Earth’s orbit.

To confirm their assumptions,
the team of scientists uses computer simulations and the Vera Rubin
Observatory (Chile) with a high-resolution camera of 3.2 billion pixels.
This will allow for regular observations of the Southern sky and the
possibility of detecting several captured objects about the size of a
football field.

It is assumed that these interstellar objects passed through the
boundaries of the solar system and may carry unique information about
other civilizations and their technologies. If we could confirm the
origin of these objects, the mysteries that open before us, this would
be a real breakthrough in space exploration.

Professor Loeb
expresses hope that the new research will not only help expand our
knowledge of extraterrestrial technologies, but may also lead to the
discovery of new alien civilizations . Answers to such questions can be
of global significance and influence our understanding of the place of
mankind in the Universe.

And
while there are still many questions and assumptions, the study by
Professor Loeb and his team opens a new chapter in space exploration.
Each new discovery can be the key to deciphering the mysteries of the
cosmos and the possibility of encountering alien life forms.

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Betelgeuse is acting strange again

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Betelgeuse, a red giant on the brink of death, continues to show
unusual behavior. After the Great Blackout, which occurred in late 2019
and early 2020, the star became unusually bright. It is now the seventh
brightest star in the sky, while it normally ranks tenth. This has led
to speculation that Betelgeuse is preparing to explode in a
spectacularly large supernova.

However, scientists believe it’s too early to tell, and it’s likely
that this behavior is due to ongoing fluctuations after the Great
Blackout of 2019, and the star will return to normal within a decade.

Betelgeuse is one of the most interesting stars in the sky. It is
about 700 light-years from Earth and is a red giant in the last stage of
its life. It is also an unusual star for a red giant because it was
previously a monster blue-white O-type star, the most massive class of
stars.

Betelgeuse has changed its spectral type because it has almost
exhausted its hydrogen reserves. It now burns helium into carbon and
oxygen and has expanded to a gigantic size: about 764 times the size of
the Sun and about 16.5 to 19 times its mass.

Eventually it will run out of fuel to burn, become a supernova, eject
its outer material, and its core will collapse into a neutron star.

Before the Great Blackout, Betelgeuse also had periodic fluctuations
in brightness. The longest of these cycles is about 5.9 years and the
other is 400 days. But it seems that the Great Blackout caused changes
in these oscillations.

A new paper by astrophysicist Morgan McLeod of the
Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics has shown that the 400-day
cycle appears to have been halved. This pulsational cycle is probably
caused by expansion and contraction within the star. According to
simulations carried out by MacLeod and his colleagues, the convective
flow inside Betelgeuse may have risen and become material that separates
from the star.

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