It’s looking like the writing may be on the wall for planet Earth. With the way we humans have been treating our home, it may only be a matter of time before we’ll have to pack our bags and set off for greener (or redder?) pastures.
The good news is, there are plenty of options! Mars is a popular choice, what with its charming rust-colored terrain and lack of a breathing atmosphere. Or, if you’re feeling adventurous, why not try out some of the more exotic locales, like Jupiter’s moon Europa or Saturn’s moon Titan? The only downside is that you’ll need a really heavy-duty space suit, but hey, at least you won’t have to worry about those pesky sandstorms anymore.
But the list of possible destinations just got a bit larger, thanks to new observations.
Wolf 1069b is only 31 light-years away
Astronomers recently discovered the Wolf 1069b exoplanet in space, located practically “next-door” to us and orbiting its host star close enough to gain its status as a potentially habitable world. That’s the right location where liquid water has the right conditions to form, which is a vital component of life as we know it. Furthermore, the Wolf 1069b exoplanet is only 1.36 times the mass of our own planet.
Astronomers led by Diana Kossakowski from the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy (MPIA) in Germany are those responsible for the discovery. The exoplanet in question revolves around the red dwarf star known as Wolf 1069.
Of course, there will probably be the option of terraforming one of the newfound worlds to make them hospitable for us humans. But let’s be real, have we ever been known for our ability to not mess things up? So, maybe it’s better to just stick to the vacuum of space and call it a day.
The new study appears in Astronomy & Astrophysics.
Tommy’s hobby has always been playing video games. He enjoys competing in video games tournaments and writing about his experience. It’s not a big surprise that he mostly covers the latest trends from the gaming industry.