Lost your password? Please enter your email address. You will receive a link and will create a new password via email.
Please briefly explain why you feel this question should be reported.
Please briefly explain why you feel this answer should be reported.
Please briefly explain why you feel this user should be reported.
Space exploration
Recent discoveries on exoplanets have significantly advanced our understanding of the potential for extraterrestrial life. One major development is the identification of exoplanets in the "habitable zone" of their stars, where conditions might be right for liquid water to exist. For example, the TRARead more
Recent discoveries on exoplanets have significantly advanced our understanding of the potential for extraterrestrial life. One major development is the identification of exoplanets in the “habitable zone” of their stars, where conditions might be right for liquid water to exist. For example, the TRAPPIST-1 system, with its seven Earth-sized planets, includes three in the habitable zone, raising intriguing possibilities for life.
Additionally, the study of exoplanet atmospheres has progressed with instruments like the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). Observations of atmospheric compositions, including detecting water vapor, carbon dioxide, and methane, provide clues about the potential habitability of these worlds. For instance, recent JWST data on the exoplanet K2-18 b revealed signs of carbon dioxide and a possible hint of methane, which could indicate biological activity, though further research is needed.
Moreover, the discovery of “biosignature gases” like phosphine on Venus, though controversial, has spurred interest in searching for life in extreme environments. Overall, these findings enhance our understanding of where life might exist beyond Earth and guide future missions and research in the search for extraterrestrial life.
See lessGravity
Although the Sun’s gravity is indeed stronger than the Earth’s, the Moon revolves around the Earth due to the nature of gravitational forces and orbital mechanics. The key factors are: 1. Relative Distances and Forces: The gravitational force between two objects is influenced by both their masses anRead more
Although the Sun’s gravity is indeed stronger than the Earth’s, the Moon revolves around the Earth due to the nature of gravitational forces and orbital mechanics. The key factors are:
1. Relative Distances and Forces: The gravitational force between two objects is influenced by both their masses and the distance between them. The Sun’s gravitational pull on the Moon is weaker compared to the Earth’s gravitational pull on the Moon because the Moon is much closer to the Earth than to the Sun. This proximity makes Earth’s gravitational influence on the Moon much stronger than the Sun’s.
2. Orbital Mechanics: The Moon orbits the Earth because the Earth’s gravity exerts a stronger force on the Moon than the Sun’s gravity at that distance. The Moon is caught in a stable orbit around the Earth due to this stronger local gravitational force.
3. Two-Body vs. Three-Body Problem: In celestial mechanics, the Moon-Earth system is a two-body problem where the Earth’s gravity dominates the Moon’s orbit. While both Earth and Moon orbit the Sun, the Moon’s orbit around the Earth is the dominant effect at that scale.
Thus, the Moon orbits the Earth due to the stronger local gravitational influence, while the Earth-Moon system orbits the Sun together.
See less