‘4,000-light-years away’: Scientists discover Earth-like planet that may offer insights into humanity’s future
Produced by: BT Desk Designed by: Manoj Kumar
Discovery of an Earth-like Planet
A team of astronomers has identified a rocky planet with a mass similar to Earth’s, orbiting a white dwarf star approximately 4,000 light years away in the constellation Sagittarius.
Potential Glimpse into Earth’s Future
This finding sheds light on what could happen to Earth when our sun reaches the end of its life, possibly offering a survival blueprint for distant generations.
The Planet’s Unique Host
The newfound planet orbits a white dwarf, the remnant core of a star that has exhausted its nuclear fuel—a fate anticipated for our own sun in about six billion years.
White Dwarf: The Sun’s Future Form
White dwarfs are formed after stars like the sun undergo an expansion into red giants and then shed their outer layers. The sun’s transformation could push planets, including Earth, into more distant orbits, potentially sparing them from destruction.
Observations with Advanced Technology
Using the Keck Telescope in Hawaii, UC Berkeley researchers observed a planetary system, KMT-2020-BLG-0414, with an Earth-sized planet in a distant orbit around a white dwarf, along with a brown dwarf 17 times the mass of Jupiter.
Research Supports Planet Migration Theory
This discovery aligns with theories that as stars expand into red giants, their reduced mass causes nearby planets to shift outward, suggesting Earth might also escape being swallowed by the sun.
Limited Time for Habitability
Despite possible future survival, Earth’s habitable conditions will be limited. Within a billion years, a runaway greenhouse effect will likely vaporize Earth’s oceans, making the planet uninhabitable long before the sun’s red giant phase.
As the sun’s habitable zone shifts outward, moons orbiting Jupiter and Saturn—like Europa and Callisto—could provide future refuge for humanity, potentially evolving into ocean worlds suitable for life.