American researchers say another possible extrasolar planet, 40 percent bigger than Earth, is habitable for future humans.
Kepler-62f, found in the Lyra constellation, is within the Golidilocks area of the star Kepler 62. It is possibly rocky and already has oceans (although potentially long stretches of solid ice).
Kepler 62 is slightly cooler and smaller than our sun. It can live for about 20 to 30 billion years, two to three times the lifespan of our sun.
Kepler-62f was discovered in 2013, along with four other planets. It and Kepler-62e are in the habitable zone, with Kepler-62f having the high probability of becoming earth-like.
"We found there are multiple atmospheric compositions that allow it to be warm enough to have surface liquid water," said University of California Los Angeles scientist Aomawa Shields. "This makes it a strong candidate for a habitable planet."
The planet's atmosphere is suspected to have an atmosphere thickness the same as our Earth to 12 times thicker.
In a special issue of the scientific journal "Science", Kepler-62f-along with Kepler-62c and Kepler-62e-is being considered for a possible Search For Extra Intelligence project.
It is possible to terraform Kepler-62f to sustain human life. The frozen water on its surface can be melted with the incorporation of greenhouse gases. Gases would trap the heat in the planet, melting the ice. To speed up the process, orbiting solar mirror satellites can be put up. Once liquid water is sufficient, addition of landmasses might be important.
Even though the possibility of holding life in Kepler-62f is very promising, its distance of 1,200 light years means that it is very impossible for humans to get there with today's technology. It would take a traveler 1,200 years if his spaceship travels at the speed of light, which is 299,792 kilometers per second.
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