Rogue planets turned out to be suitable for life
Most planets revolve around stars. But a few years ago, scientists learned about the existence of the so-called “rogue” planets – they are not gravitationally tied to any star and move by themselves in outer space, Advances in Space Research reports.
A new study by American scientists has shown that such planets can theoretically be habitable. Since they are not warmed by the light of the stars, the surface must be covered with a thick layer of ice.
According to the authors of the scientific work, cavities with liquid water can be hidden under this layer. Glaciers protect these inner oceans from the cold of interstellar space, and the planet's hot core maintains a stable temperature.
There may be many more “rogue” planets than scientists assumed. Recently, there have been 30-40 lonely planets for every open planetary system. Some of them exist relatively close to the Earth.
Scientists intend to conduct a series of experiments to find out the lower limits of temperature and pressure for the existence of life. The experiments will be based on microbes that do not need sunlight.
According to the authors, spacecraft will be able to reach the nearest lonely planet within 20 years. This will provide a wealth of information for future research.
Earlier it was reported that scientists have found a planet with three suns. This is the first such case.
