This came from Wiki; an August 2016 announcement of discovery:
Proxima Centauri b (also called Proxima b is an exoplanet orbiting within the habitable zone of the red dwarf star Proxima Centauri, the closest star to the Sun. It is located about 4.2 light-years (1.3 parsecs, 40 trillion km, or 25 trillion miles) from Earth in the constellation of Centaurus, making it the closest known exoplanet to the Solar System. It is a candidate for habitability, although not among the best compared to other planets of similar size. However, more information about the planet's physical characteristics is needed for a proper evaluation.
I am fascinated and will continue following our (Earth's) historic ventures into interplanetary and interstellar space. Voyager 1 spacecraft was launched in September 1977 and flew by Jupiter and Saturn before continuing on toward interstellar space. NASA's Voyager 2 spacecraft also flew by Jupiter and Saturn and went on to explore Uranus and Neptune. It is still the only spacecraft to have visited those outer planets. Now that we know there's an earth size planet (Proxima b) orbiting our nearest star (Proxima Centauri)...the plot thickens. This raises a rather obvious question: can it support life? The planet orbits within its star’s habitable zone, the distance at which water might exist in liquid form. Whether there is any liquid present depends in part on whether the planet supports an atmosphere. We will be launching the James Webb Space Telescope (Pic) in 2018. With high resolution spectroscopy...we'll soon know.
This could produce a "Living world". We know many stars have no planets in their habitable zone. So..."each star" cannot possibly have "A living world".
Wouldn't it be wild if we could be at Voyager's destination to welcome it when it gets there?
This is a link for an audio recording of the sounds Voyager 1 encountered when it reached interstellar space and ionizing electrical tsunami waves vibrating outside our system:Videos | Voyager Experiences Three 'Tsunami Waves' in Interstellar Space http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/video/details.php?id=1347
It's like the solar system has a pulse...
“The important thing is to not stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existence. One cannot help but be in awe when he contemplates the mysteries of eternity, of life, of the marvelous structure of reality. It is enough if one tries merely to comprehend a little of this mystery each day." Albert Einstein
Every Star Has A Living World Orbiting It
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Posted - 05/10/2016 : 13:40:03
