Exomoon, Livable Zone Search Among the Exoplanets

Astronomers began to consider Exomoon or planets orbiting that allow the existence of life outside our solar system. In a new study, a pair of researchers have found that it is possible to support Exomoon life like exoplanet.

Exomoon research conducted by Rene Heller of Germany's Leibniz Institute for Astrophysics Potsdam and Rory Barnes of the University of Washington, and the NASA Astrobiology Institute, the journal will be published in the January 2013 issue of Astrobiology.

Approximately 850 exoplanets (planets outside our solar system) that was discovered and largely sterile gas giant similar to Jupiter. Only a few planets have solid surfaces and orbits its star in the habitable zone. Circumstellar belt at the right distance potentially allowing the liquid surface and a friendly environment.

Is the planet has a moon that could inhabited? No Exomoon that meet these criteria, but there is no thought there was no reason at all. Climatic conditions expected in exoplanets likely to be different from those in extrasolar planets, because the moon is usually locked on the planet. Or more similar to Earth's moon, one hemisphere permanently facing the moon.

Moon has two light sources, which are derived from the stars and planets they orbit, and have eclipse that could significantly alter the climate, reducing lighting stars. For example, a solar eclipse can cause total darkness suddenly at noon.

Heller and Barnes also identified as a criterion in the habit heating exomoon. Additional energy source is triggered from a distance of the Moon to its parent planet, the moon is close to the heating and stronger tides. Moons orbiting the planet is too close to be undergoing strong heating, so that the greenhouse effect would be a disaster to boil water on the surface and clearly uninhabitable.

The researchers also designed a theoretical model for estimating the minimum distance of moon from the planet and its host is still possible habitability. This concept will allow astronomers to evaluate future exoplanets moon habit. There is a habitable zone on Exomoon, slightly different from the exoplanet habitable zone.
NASA's Kepler telescope photometric precision of detection yield on the planet Mars and the Earth, allowing the size of exoplanets month. Telescopes allow scientists to reveal thousands of extrasolar planets.

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Solar System Members Have Two More Earth-Sized Planets, New Planet Discovered

Kepler mission of the U.S. space agency (NASA) ensure've found two Earth-sized planets orbiting a star like the Sun in our solar system, according to NASA as quoted by Reuters on Thursday (22/12).

NASA called this discovery is a milestone in the search mission Earth-like planets. Both planets are named Kepler and Kepler-20e-20F is the smallest planets outside the solar system which was confirmed around a Sun-like star, according to NASA.

Both the new planet is too close to their stars, to be called were in the zone occupied decent living (habitable zone) where there is liquid water on the surface of the planet.

"This discovery shows for the first time that Earth-sized planets around other stars (out of the Sun) and that we are able to detect it," said Francois Fressin of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Both the new planet is believed to be a rocky planet. Kepler-20e somewhat smaller than Venus, with a radius 0.87 times of Earth's radius.

Kepler-20F slightly larger than Earth with a radius of 1.03 times of the Earth. Both of these planets are in the system of five planets that are named after Kepler-20, whereas the distance is 1,000 light-years away in the constellation Lyra.

Kepler-20e orbits its star every 6.1 days, while Kepler-orbiting every 19.6 hari.Kepler 20F-20F, a temperature of 800 degrees Fahrenheit, similar to the average day of the planet Mercury.

The temperature at the surface of the Kepler-20e which reached more than 1,400 degrees Fahrenheit, to melt the glass.

Kepler space telescope to detect planets and planetary candidates by measuring the light power more than 150,000 stars as planets pass in front of their stars.

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