NASA's phenomenal discovery might soon bring us into contact with an extraterrestrial civilization. The Space Administration has discovered a twin of our own Solar System, in which at least 3 of the planets are potentially habitable.
At the official press conference, astronomers announced that the planetary system is located 40 light-years from us, or 378 trillion kilometers away, in the constellation Aquarius.
7 planets orbit around its star, while according to initial observations, 3 of these contain oceans, a possible sign of life on these objects. The planets are roughly the same size as Earth.
"This is the first time so many planets of this kind are found around the same star, " stated Michael Gillon of the University of Liege in Belgium.
The system was discovered during routine observations of the TRAPPIST-1 star via the Kepler Telescope.
After examining the first images, astronomers believe that the planets are the rocky kind, rather than gas giants like Jupiter. Researchers also theorize that the highest chances for life to exist are on the planet TRAPPIST-1f, whose temperatures are a little lower than Earth's and just like our planet, it has an atmosphere that formed from greenhouses gases.
TRAPPIST-1f has a red hue, is thought to be younger than Earth and that it could outlive it.
It's also been found that the celestial objects are located relatively close to one another, with about the distance between the Sun and Mercury between them. This proximity will allow scientists to study them faster and in greater detail.
Within the next 10 years, scientists hope to learn more about the water in that solar system.
Amaury Triaud from the University of Cambridge is categorical that this is the first possible proof of life outside our own planet. If it's proven that there are habitable areas beyond our solar system, these could one day provide humanity a new home.
