A new study suggests that the Milky Way exists with potential planets, which are almost Earth-like. Since there are billions of stars (sun-like) in the Milky Way galaxy, the research suggests that half of these stars can host life on them. These means that they are probable habitual zones.
Average numbers state that each sunlike star which is part of the Milky Way has nearly 0.4 and 0.9 planets uneven and rocky planets within the habitable sphere. This also constitutes the exact range of orbital distances. Here the water is also believed to be stable on the surface, as researchers have discovered.
The Milky Way almost has 200 billion stars. Out of this, 7% are G-Dwarfs as the Sun. hence, the possibility of Earth-like conditions always exists.
Researchers from the SETI or Search For Extraterrestrial Intelligence in California have said that all this evidence has been put together for the first time. This has helped them achieve a level of reliable measurement. This data also includes the total number of potentially habitual planets existing in the galaxy.
This is key information and an important term for the Drake Equation. This equation estimates all the numbers of civilizations which are communicable. Coughlin from Kepler Science Office has also mentioned that they are equally dedicated to gathering data alongside NASA’s Kepler Space Telescope used for planet-hunting. They are close to finding out whether they are the only ones within the cosmos.
In another new study done by Steve Bryson from NASA Ames Research Centre in California, research suggests that the spacecraft was prolific, with 2800 and more exoplanets to date. This number continues to expand as the studies keep on shifting and further analyses are conducted.
When data examination was done on properties of the Gaia spacecraft and the mapping of million stars from the Milky Way galaxy, the results and information estimated high occurrence rates for the planets from the habitual zone. These so-called rocky planets have been defined by scientists as masses with 0.5-1.5 diameters more than the Earth. The sunlike stars have a surface temperature of 8 to 180- and 10,880-degree Fahrenheit.
The concept of the habitual zone is ever-transforming. The existence of the planet depends on the composition of its atmosphere, thickness, level of activity in the hot star, and more. Water dependant life is also looked for.
So, the team led by Bryson has calculated their rate of occurrence in between 0.37-0.60 planets per star. Although there are uncertainties, the research continues.
However, it didn’t consider the red dwarf planets since it is debatable. As they have extremely dim stars, it is believed that the habitual zones are close or are tightly locked. The red dwarfs are also readily active, more than the other stars. Therefore, intense flaring can strip away the atmosphere from their habitual zones.