All you need to know about our Nearest Star System
Alpha Centauri is the nearest star system to our Star Sun. It is about 4.37 light-years away from us. Alpha Centauri (known as Proxima Centauri) is a three-star system named Alpha Centauri A, Alpha Centauri B and Alpha Centauri C. Alpha Centauri B is the brightest, having 1.5 times brighter light than Sun. The other stars have lesser light than the Sun. Proxima Centauri is considered to be 7000 times lesser light than of Sun. So, life around that star seems quite difficult to exist.
Concepts of Planets in Alpha Centauri System
There are supposed to be few planets around Alpha Centauri B having sizes and shapes symmetrical to our Earth. The problem is the revaluation time, which is much higher than we observe here on Earth, i.e., 24 hours. The planet around Alpha Centauri B completes one revolution after 3.2 days. That is what creates a problem. So, life on the observed planet seems impossible.
Moreover, this is not the only reason. The temperature levels are also higher, i.e., 2200 F making life difficult to exist. However, researchers might want to find a reasonable planet with a reasonable distance from Alpha Centauri B if life can exist there or not.
The mission for Alpha Centauri
There is no limit to finding new ideas and living anywhere around the galaxies. The researchers’ first and foremost mission is to find out what could be the properties of the Star system. What is sail stability? What are the materials they would find there? For this, they have planned to send a spacecraft this year. Higher authorities have managed to pass the budget of around $100M for this project. This spacecraft will be sent at 1/5 times the speed of light. According to a rough estimate, the spacecraft will reach its destination in 20 years.
Scientific Studies on Alpha Centauri
Different studies on Alpha Centauri claim it to be the Sun-like star system. According to professor of astronomy and astrophysics at UCSC, Coauthor Gregory, there is a slight chance of finding out more wobbling planets or rocky stones or different sizes around Alpha Centauri B. The Doppler Detection method is suggested to complete the procedure. The researchers hope to find similar planets discovered through telescopes through this method.
All this has created a sense of research for the students of this field and motivated them to a purpose. Huge organizations are ready to invest in this process of helping the newcomers.
When will we travel there?
There are two possibilities for traveling to another solar system. Either we could use spaceship technology or use a wormhole (stargate) type transportation system. With present-day spacecrafts, it would take tens of thousands of years if we were able to travel at near light speed, or one hundred thousand years if we traveled at one third light speed. This is because space is very large and there is no way to travel faster than the speed of light. However, if we had a stargate that could transport us instantaneously between two points in space, then it would only take seconds or minutes to get from here to Alpha Centauri. This is why scientists and engineers are trying to figure out how to create a stargate or wormhole so that we can make interstellar travel possible in our lifetime.
Is it habitable?
Astronomers have been searching for signs of life in systems outside of our own for decades. Now, thanks to new developments in technology, they’re getting closer than ever before. Thanks to a new algorithm created by NASA scientists, we now have more information than ever before on not only whether planets are habitable—but what kind of planets orbit around these stars. This could be huge news for those looking to find extraterrestrial life. In fact, NASA is so excited that they’ve just launched TESS (Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite), which will help identify even more exoplanets!
Bottom Line
The world has been busy finding new areas to explore for years. There are multiple reasons for that. The reason lies in the increasing population on Earth alongside pollution. The research opens up multiple areas of knowledge as well. It helps people to know nature more and more with time. Although it isn’t easy to move on from one planet to the other, getting some knowledge of this gigantic universe isn’t a bad start. Let’s see what is coming up in the next few years. We can hope for the best.
