Today
we will try to get to know it by discussing such an exoplanet. But before we
know that planet, we must first know something about its host stars. At 1,402
light-years or 403 parsec from Earth, there is a star in the Cygnus
constellation, called Kepler-452. (Light Year: The distance that
light travels at a speed of 2,99,792.46 km per second in a year. Parsec:
The largest unit of distance measurement. 1 Parsec = 3.26 light years.)
This star, like our Sun, is a G-class star. This star is only 11 percent larger
than our Sun and 3.7 percent larger in mass. The surface temperature of this
Kepler-452 is almost the same as that of the Sun. The last calculation showed
that the temperature of this star was 5,778 Kelvin or 5,506 degrees Celsius.
However, in terms of age, this star is much older than the sun. The current
calculation shows that the age of the star Kepler-452 is about 600 crore years,
which is 140 crore years more than the age of our Sun which is 460 crore years.
However, this star appears to have faded considerably due to its distance from
the Earth. Kepler-452 has a luminous value of 13.43. (The lower or negative
the luminous value of a cosmic object, the higher the luminosity of the cosmic
object.)
Speaking of the discovery of exoplanets, it can be said that the search for these exoplanets is further accelerated by sending various orbiting telescopes into space. During a 2009 study, scientists looked at the Kepler-452 star through the and found that the star's brightness diminished for a period of time and then returned. Scientists understand that there must be a planet in the star Kepler-452. This phenomenon was later observed at various times by other telescopes in space, especially between the year 2009 to 2012. It was finally confirmed on 23rd June 2015, and the existence of this new exoplanet was first announced to the public. The newly discovered planet is named after its host star, Kepler-452b.
The
planet we are discussing today, Kepler-452b, is located at an average distance
of 1.04 AU or 15,60,00,000 km from its host star. In other words, the average
distance between the earth and the sun is 14,95,97,871 km, or 1 AU, and the
planet is at a greater distance of only 64,00,000 km or 0.04 AU away from its
star. If we consider the size of the Sun and Kepler-452, then it can be said
that just as our earth is in a habitable zone relative to the Sun, so is
Kepler-452b in a habitable zone relative to its star Kepler-452. Just as our
earth orbits the Sun once in 365 days, so does Kepler-452b which completes its
annual motion in its full circular orbit in 385 days. Compared to the size of
the star Kepler-452, the rotation time of this planet is also quite consistent
with the rotation time of the earth. Another important point here is that this
planet is not tidally bound to its star, meaning that the planet has different
diurnal motion and annual motion. In other words, Kepler-452b experiences the
changes of seasons along with day and night in every part of the planet at
regular intervals.
If we look at the
size of this planet this time, we will see that the radius of the planet
Kepler-452b is 1.5 times or 50 percent more than the radius of the earth and
the mass is 5 times more than that of earth. Based on the size of Kepler-452b,
scientists estimate that the planet's gravitational force is twice as strong as
Earth's. The small radius of this planet forces us to assume that this planet
could be rocky and based on its size, mass and density it can be said that
there may be volcanoes there. If there are volcanoes, the carbonate-silicate
cycle may be present inside the planet, which is expected to save the planet's
possible life for a long time. Talking about this a little later. In addition,
scientists estimate that the planet Kepler-452b may have an ocean with a large
amount of water. Scientists have also suggested the possibility of a Venus-like
green-house effect in the atmosphere of Kepler-452b based on the surrounding
conditions. However, its effects may not be as intense as Venus because of the
planet's possible presence of ocean and carbonate-silicate cycle. Probably
these two factors may save the expected life from the intense heat, generated
by the green-house effect. It is also estimated that Kepler-452b's climate is
foggy and extremely dense with clouds covering almost the entire surface of the
planet. The host star Kepler-452 is probably seen in the same way from
Kepler-452b as we see the sun from our earth. However, in this case the
brightness of the star may be 20 percent more than the sun, visible from the
earth. In addition, Kepler-452b is receiving 10 percent more energy from its
host star Kepler-452 than we are receiving from the sun at any moment.
From
what we have read so far, it seems that all the information that is coming out
about Kepler-453b is based on conjecture, nothing seems to be certain. The only
reason for this is the limitations of technology. So far, all the telescopes we
have built or designed to build in the future are undoubtedly sophisticated,
but due the vast distance from us, these are not too effective for the research
of Kepler-452b. So we can't say for sure about the mass, volume, density,
magnetism, topography, weather of exoplanets. To solve this problem, scientists
have been relentlessly trying to observe distant planets by launching the
state-of-the-art TESS Telescope (Transiting Exoplanets Survey Satellite) and
CHEOPS Telescope (Characterising Exoplanets Satellite) in 2018. Efforts are
underway to launch the James Webb Telescope later this year to further assist
in this work. This last telescope is going to be one of the tools of our space
exploration. It is worth noting that the James Webb Telescope is several times
more powerful than the Hubble Telescope, one of the most trusted fighters in
space mission and exploration for a long time. In addition to this, various
space research agencies around the world are working to establish a large
network of high quality Large Radio Telescopes to help these orbiting space
telescopes. By using this joint function in the right way, it will be possible
to observe exoplanets in a deeper and sharper way.
Kepler-452b
is the first and probably the only planet in the habitable zone of the star
Kepler-452. Therefore, in 2018, a team of scientists led by Mullaly announced
that since the existence of the planet Kepler-452b has not yet been properly
proven from all sides, this planet should be considered as a possible planet
for the time being. For all these reasons, scientists of SETI (Search For
Extraterrestrial Intelligence Institute), an organization founded in 1984, are
trying to observe the planet more closely through the radio transmission of the
Allen Telescope, located on Mount Cascade Range in California.
The
planet is so far away that if a spacecraft like New Horizon with a velocity of
59,000 km per hour travels to the planet, it will take 3 crore years for that
spacecraft to reach that planet and if that journey is done by the most dynamic
man-made spacecraft Parker Solar Probe, velocity of the probe is 3,93,044 km
per hour, then the spacecraft will take more than 45 lakh years to cover that
distance. It would take 1,402 years to travel at the speed of light. Since
there is nothing in this space faster than light and it may never be
theoretically possible to achieve more velocity than this velocity, it is not
possible to think of sending a human expedition or a spacecraft to this planet
because this mission would be a completely unrealistic impossible mission, we
will not achieve anything, based on the ground of today's technology-dependent
realities.
Scientists
estimate that the planet Kepler-452b will exist at least as long as there is no
change in the habitable zone in terms of its star Kepler-452. Due to the distance,
we may not be able to communicate with this Super-Earth title bearing planet in
that sense, but it is a fact that the earth's cousin sister or Earth 2.0
version, which is very similar to our Earth, is with us in this infinite
universe.
DECLARATION: All The Images And Have Been Sourced From Google.
