Tau Ceti has a system of planets, one of which may have life. Habitable planets near Tau Ceti? Unlikely Tabletop Bladeless Fan
Characteristics
The detection method used does not allow us to determine most of the planet's properties, with the exception of its orbit and mass.
It rotates at a distance of ~0.55 AU. e. from a star with an orbital period of approximately 168 days and has a minimum mass of ~4.3 Earth masses, which allows it to be classified as a super-Earth.
Possible habitability
It is possible that the planet Tau Ceti e is habitable, since it orbits its star near the inner edge of the habitable zone. The planet receives about 60 percent more light than Earth from the Sun, which warms it greatly and may have the conditions necessary to support life only for simple thermophilic (that is, heat-loving) organisms - a type of extremophile that thrives at temperatures of 45-122 °C. If there is an atmosphere similar to Earth's, then the average surface temperature of the planet will be almost 70 degrees Celsius. The climate on Tau Ceti e would thus be driven by a strong greenhouse effect, making the planet more like a "super Venus" than a super-Earth. Without more information about its atmosphere, scientists are not yet able to make a statement as to whether it is warm or hot, similar to the uninhabitable Venus. If Tau Ceti e is assessed based on the Earth's atmosphere, then it has an Earth Similarity Index (ESI) of 0.77.
Interstellar expedition to Tau Ceti
Tau Ceti is located 12 light years from the Solar System. At the moment, even using modern technology, it is impossible to send a mission to Tau Ceti. The fastest moving artificial space object is Voyager 1, whose speed relative to the Sun is currently ~ 17 km/s. But even for him, the journey to the planet Tau Ceti would have taken 212 thousand years.
Write a review of the article "Tau Ceti e"
Notes
Links
Excerpt characterizing Tau Ceti e
- But what to do? There are only a few months left until the year is over. And this cannot be. I would only like to spare my brother the first minutes. I wish they would come sooner. I hope to get along with her. “You have known them for a long time,” said Princess Marya, “tell me, hand on heart, the whole true truth, what kind of girl is this and how do you find her?” But the whole truth; because, you understand, Andrei is risking so much by doing this against his father’s will that I would like to know...A vague instinct told Pierre that these reservations and repeated requests to tell the whole truth expressed Princess Marya’s ill will towards her future daughter-in-law, that she wanted Pierre not to approve of Prince Andrei’s choice; but Pierre said what he felt rather than thought.
“I don’t know how to answer your question,” he said, blushing, without knowing why. “I absolutely don’t know what kind of girl this is; I can't analyze it at all. She's charming. Why, I don’t know: that’s all that can be said about her. “Princess Marya sighed and the expression on her face said: “Yes, I expected and was afraid of this.”
– Is she smart? - asked Princess Marya. Pierre thought about it.
“I think not,” he said, “but yes.” She doesn't deserve to be smart... No, she's charming, and nothing more. – Princess Marya again shook her head disapprovingly.
- Oh, I so want to love her! You will tell her this if you see her before me.
“I heard that they will be there one of these days,” said Pierre.
Princess Marya told Pierre her plan about how, as soon as the Rostovs arrived, she would become close to her future daughter-in-law and try to accustom the old prince to her.
Boris did not succeed in marrying a rich bride in St. Petersburg and he came to Moscow for the same purpose. In Moscow, Boris was indecisive between the two richest brides - Julie and Princess Marya. Although Princess Marya, despite her ugliness, seemed more attractive to him than Julie, for some reason he felt awkward courting Bolkonskaya. On her last meeting with her, on the old prince’s name day, to all his attempts to talk to her about feelings, she answered him inappropriately and obviously did not listen to him.
Julie, on the contrary, although in a special way peculiar to her, willingly accepted his courtship.
Julie was 27 years old. After the death of her brothers, she became very rich. She was now completely ugly; but I thought that she was not only just as good, but even much more attractive than she was before. She was supported in this delusion by the fact that, firstly, she became a very rich bride, and secondly, that the older she became, the safer she was for men, the freer it was for men to treat her and, without taking on any obligations, take advantage of her dinners, evenings and the lively company that gathered at her place. A man who ten years ago would have been afraid to go every day to the house where there was a 17-year-old young lady, so as not to compromise her and tie himself down, now went to her boldly every day and treated her not as a young bride, but as a acquaintance who has no gender.
The Karagins' house was the most pleasant and hospitable house in Moscow that winter. In addition to parties and dinners, every day a large company gathered at the Karagins, especially men, who dined at 12 o'clock in the morning and stayed until 3 o'clock. There was no ball, party, or theater that Julie missed. Her toilets were always the most fashionable. But, despite this, Julie seemed disappointed in everything, telling everyone that she did not believe in friendship, nor in love, nor in any joys of life, and expected peace only there. She adopted the tone of a girl who had suffered great disappointment, a girl as if she had lost a loved one or had been cruelly deceived by him. Although nothing of the sort happened to her, they looked at her as if she were one, and she herself even believed that she had suffered a lot in life. This melancholy, which did not prevent her from having fun, did not prevent the young people who visited her from having a pleasant time. Each guest, coming to them, paid his debt to the melancholy mood of the hostess and then engaged in small talk, dancing, mental games, and Burime tournaments, which were in fashion with the Karagins. Only some young people, including Boris, delved deeper into Julie’s melancholic mood, and with these young people she had longer and more private conversations about the vanity of everything worldly, and to them she opened her albums covered with sad images, sayings and poems.
The star Tau Ceti is located approximately 12 light years from Earth in the constellation Cetus. Such a close distance by astronomical standards allows you to see a star in the night sky even with the naked eye. The star's magnesium-to-silicon ratio is 1.78, making it about 70 percent larger than our Sun.
Tau Ceti E, located in this system, is currently a planetary candidate. In other words, scientists have not yet confirmed that this object is an exoplanet. The object was discovered in 2012. The sidereal period (the period of complete revolution of an object around a star) is 168 Earth days.
Tau Ceti E's orbit is located near the inner edge of the star's habitable zone, so there is a possibility that its surface may contain liquid water. The average temperature on the planet's surface is close to 70 degrees Celsius. For comparison, the average temperature of the Earth is about 15 degrees Celsius. The extremely hot climate of Tau Ceti E makes the planet unsuitable for human life, but may be suitable for supporting life at an early stage of its development.
Its radius is 1.1-2.0 times greater than the radius of the Earth. The mass is approximately 4.3 times the mass of our planet. All the factors noted by scientists make Tau Ceti E a suitable candidate for the presence of life in rudimentary form. It is quite possible that when humanity finally invents a method for long-distance space travel, Tau Ceti E will be able to support more complex forms of life.
Kepler 438b
The exoplanet Kepler 438b belongs to the star system Kepler 438 and is located 473 light years from Earth in the constellation Lyra. This star is approximately 4.4 billion years older than our Sun and belongs to the class of red dwarfs. The low brightness of a star reduces the radius of its habitable zone.
Exoplanet Kepler 438b is only 12 percent larger than Earth and has a mass between 0.6 and 4.0 times that of our planet. Scientists suggest that this exoplanet is most likely rocky and located inside the star's habitable zone, which potentially means it could contain liquid water.
The radius of Kepler 438b is approximately 1.1 times the radius of Earth. And although all other factors speak in favor of its potential habitability, life on this planet will be very difficult for humans, since the average surface temperature is 3 degrees Celsius.
It's possible that humans will someday adapt to live at these temperatures, but it won't be easy. At the moment, the planet is more suitable for the development of early life than for human colonization.
Gliese 667C E
The star Gliese 667C is a red dwarf star located 22 light-years from Earth in the constellation Scorpio. This red dwarf is part of a triple star system that contains two more orange dwarfs orbiting each other. The red dwarf, in turn, orbits both stars. All three stars are thought to be between 2 and 10 billion years old.
Gliese 667C E is an unconfirmed exoplanet. A year on it lasts 62 Earth days, and its radius is approximately 1.0-1.8 times the radius of the Earth. Gliese 667C E actually pushes the limits of the acceptable radius for a potentially habitable planet, but the planet's mass is about 2.7 times the mass of Earth.
This potential exoplanet is located in the comfortable habitable zone, where the presence of liquid water is possible. True, there is a problem. The planet has a synchronous orbit with its star, which means that one side of it is constantly turned towards the star and, as a result, is very hot, while the other side is constantly turned away from the star and, as a result, is very cold. Although this factor somewhat limits the potential level of habitability, it does not change the likelihood that the planet can support human life.
Kepler 186f
The star Kepler 186 is located 561 light years from Earth in the constellation Cygnus. It is a red dwarf, which is smaller and cooler than our Sun. These factors, in turn, reduce the radius of the star's habitable zone.
A year on the exoplanet Kepler 186f is equal to 130 Earth days. It is located in the habitable zone of the star and is very similar in size to Earth. Although scientists have not yet determined the mass of Kepler 186f, its radius is only 1.1 times the radius of the Earth.
The planet is located on the outer boundary of the star's habitable zone, due to which the average temperature on its surface is 0 degrees Celsius. The exoplanet would actually be on the edge of possibilities for human settlement, if not for one thing. Its dense atmosphere contains a lot of carbon dioxide.
Kepler 62f
The star Kepler 62 is located in the constellation Lyra, approximately 1,200 light years from Earth. This star has a mass and radius that is approximately 0.69 times and 0.63 times that of our Sun.
The exoplanet Kepler 62f, whose year lasts about 268 days, was discovered in 2013. Its mass is comparable to the mass of Jupiter. It is only 0.11 times the mass of our gas giant and 318 times the mass of Earth. The radius of Kepler 62f is approximately 1.4 times the radius of Earth. The planet is located in the habitable zone of the star, which makes it possible for liquid water to exist on its surface.
The average temperature here is -30 degrees Celsius, making this world very cold for humans. Nevertheless, all the facts collected about this planet speak in favor of Kepler 62f as a suitable candidate for colonization.
Kaptein B
The red dwarf Kapteyn is located 13 light years from Earth in the constellation Pictor. This star has about 0.28 times the mass and 0.29 times the radius of the Sun. The age of Kapteyn's star is estimated at 8 billion years.
The star was named after the Dutch astronomer Jacobus Cornelius Kapteyn who discovered it in the 19th century. This star moves relative to the Sun at a very high spatial speed. Moreover, its high apparent magnitude (brightness) makes it visible even to amateur telescopes.
Kapteyn B is an as-yet unproven exoplanet. A year on it lasts 48 Earth days. Its radius is unknown. However, its mass is five times that of the Earth. The planet may contain liquid water. Even incomplete information about the planet and its star makes Kapteyn B a potential candidate for future colonization.
Wolf 1061c
The star Wolf 1061 is a red dwarf star located 14 light years away in the constellation Ophiuchus. It ranks 35th among the stars closest to Earth. Its mass is approximately 0.25 times the mass of the Sun. The fact that the entire system orbits a red dwarf makes the star's habitable zone radius smaller compared to brighter stars.
Exoplanet Wolf 1061c is likely to be rocky and located in a zone where the surface temperature is suitable to support liquid water. the planet is approximately 1.8 times larger than Earth. The planet has a synchronous rotation with its star. In other words, one side is always facing the star, while the other is always facing away from it, making one side very hot and the other very cold.
This difference in temperature extremes is unlikely to make the planet a potential candidate for colonization. However, life can be maintained at the border of two temperature zones. True, the living environment here can hardly be called comfortable.
Gliese 667C F
In the system of the star Gliese 667C, in addition to Gliese 667C E, there is another object awaiting confirmation of belonging to an exoplanet. We are talking about Gliese 667C F. It was discovered in 2013 and is located 24 light years from Earth. A year on Gliese 667C F lasts 39 Earth days. The mass of the planet is approximately 2.7 times the mass of Earth. The radius of the planet is 1.5 times the radius of our planet. All known facts about the planet make it a suitable candidate for the title of a potentially habitable exoplanet.
Kepler 442b
The star Kepler 442 is approximately 3 billion years old. Its mass and radius are 0.61 times and 0.60 times greater than the mass and radius of the Sun, respectively. Kepler 442 is located 1100 light years from Earth in the constellation Lyra.
The presence of the exoplanet Kepler 442b in this system was discovered in 2015. The planet's shadow dimmed the brightness of its star, an orange dwarf, as astronomers monitored it. Scientists have found that a year on Kepler 442b lasts approximately 112 Earth days. The radius of the exoplanet is 1.34 times the radius of the Earth. Most likely, Kepler 442b belongs to the rocky type of planets and is located in the zone of the system where the presence and maintenance of water in liquid form is possible on the surfaces of the planets. Among all the exoplanets found by February 2016, Kepler 442b is considered by scientists as the most similar to Earth.
Gliese 667C C
The exoplanet Gliese 667C C also orbits the red dwarf Gliese 667C. Its orbital period is about 28 Earth days. The planet's mass is approximately 0.01 times the mass of Jupiter. Scientists have not yet been able to figure out what kind of planet it is - gaseous or rocky.
However, Gliese 667C C is located in the habitable zone, where planets can support liquid water. Therefore, most likely, this is a rocky planet, and therefore, given the combination of all known factors, humanity will one day be able to settle on it.
Based on this selection, many exoplanets may indeed someday become a new haven for humanity. However, undoubtedly, only after we invent ways of interstellar travel.
Tau Ceti is a star in the constellation Cetus. It is located in the Southern Hemisphere and is one of the closest to Earth: the celestial bodies are separated by less than 12 light years.
Tau Ceti is a dim yellow star with slight fluctuations in brightness. In terms of age and physical parameters, it is very similar to the Sun, but is much inferior to it in mass and radius: they are about 0.7 solar.
The similarity has led to the star becoming extremely attractive to astronomers keen on searching for extraterrestrial civilizations. Back in the middle of the twentieth century, the American scientist F. Drake searched for and sent radio signals as part of the famous Ozma project.
Mention of the star is often found in literature, and V. Vysotsky dedicated a funny song to her about meeting his brothers in mind. But only in 2012, with the development of observational optics, it was possible to track 5 exoplanets orbiting Tau Ceti.
4 facts about Tau Ceti and its planets
Astronomers from several countries, under the leadership of the Englishman M. Twomey, analyzed more than 6 thousand observations from telescopes located in different places. Research has shown that variations in Tau Ceti's speed may be due to the influence of a system of 5 planets with constant orbits, orbital times ranging from 14 to 640 days, and a mass 2 to 7 times that of Earth.
All discovered exoplanets are rocky. Since the star's luminosity is almost half that of the sun, they receive much less heat. And because of the massive debris belt around Tau Ceti, planets could suffer from frequent asteroid impacts.
They are approximately twice as old as the Earth, which means they had time to develop life. The two inner ones are most likely too hot, since they are located very close to the luminary. But the planet, with a mass 25% greater than Earth’s and an orbital period of 168 days, has a moderate temperature and has a sufficient amount of water. This makes it possible to assume the presence of living organisms on it!
Astronomers emphasize the need for more research to confirm the presence of exoplanets around Tau Ceti. But the sensational news has already spread widely, once again arousing the dreams of earthlings about meeting their brothers in mind.
Find the mysterious Tau Ceti in and give it as a gift. Let it become a symbol of the pursuit of dreams and dreams come true.
A study of the chemical composition of Tau Ceti and modeling, based on it, of the geological history of Earth-like exoplanets orbiting this star, showed that the existence of developed life on them is unlikely.
Joshua Gonzalez
Tau Ceti is one of the stars closest to the Sun and has always attracted special attention from science fiction writers who speculated about where else in the Universe intelligent life could exist. These fantasies received a more realistic basis in 2012, when the Doppler method discovered five exoplanets in its vicinity, two of which, conventionally named e and f, fell into the so-called habitable zone, that is, they are at such a distance from their star, that the existence of water in liquid form is possible on them.
New research was aimed at studying in more detail the chemical composition of Tau Ceti, which turned out to be quite different from the composition of the Sun. In particular, the relative abundance of magnesium to silicon in this star is 1.78, which is 70% more than in the Sun. Moreover, it is these two elements that are the basis for the formation of rocky terrestrial planets, and as modeling has shown, in the case where there is too much magnesium, this formation proceeds much more slowly. According to scientists, apparently, the planets of the Tau Ceti system suffer more from volcanic activity than the Earth, and their mantle is more mobile.
According to researchers, although planets e and f fall into the habitable zone, however, conditions for the emergence of life appeared on them later than predicted by standard theories. Moreover, the existence of such conditions on planet e is generally questionable, and on planet f they arose no earlier than about a billion years ago. By comparison, life on Earth took about two billion years just to create noticeable changes in the atmosphere. So even if life exists on Tau Ceti f, it is currently impossible to detect it from Earth. There is even less need to talk about any development.