Scientists now speculate that the milky way could host many Earth-like planets. Recent data shows that many planets in the galaxy had water during their formation. This study comes from the University of Copenhagen.
Scientists thought that earth accidentally got water
Previously many scientists assumed that planets similar to Earth got water when ice asteroids hit them. The new study found that the Earth captured pebbles of carbon and ice that orbited around it. Such pebbles are around nearly all planets.
Researchers used a computer model to form this conclusion. The model indicates that several blocks came together to form the earth. This process took about five million years.
According to Anders Johansen, the lead study author of Globes Institute, the researchers realized this water was one of the building blocks for the earth. They concluded that other planets in the galaxy might have formed the same way as they all contain water molecules around them.
Johansen adds that scientists can determine if water is on a planet by evaluating its distance from its star. He states that when the earth was 1% of its present mass, it grew further through incorporating carbon and ice. At this point, the planet’s growth accelerated to its current mass.
As the earth was growing, the temperature on its surface increased suddenly, leading to the ice evaporating as it came down and forming water. As a result, about 0.1% of the earth is water despite its surface being 70% water.
Planets with the right temperature could have the same amount of carbon and water
The team concluded that many other planets in the galaxy could have a similar carbon and water content as long as they are close enough to their star. For this reason, many other planets in the milky way could have life.
In addition, their model concluded other planets have a similar water percentage. They could also have the same number of continents. These conditions make life more likely to appear.
Another study also concluded that planets without landmass could have alien marine life. Unfortunately, such life forms would be less likely to form civilizations to observe the world. The team believes their study places them closer to finding alien life.
