TRAPPIST - 1 Update for 03/08/17

TL;DR

Trappist-1's zone of habitability could extend further with the presence of hydrogen, potentially making the distant planet Trappist-1h capable of supporting liquid water and life.

Transcript

This is an update in my continuing coverage of Trappist -1, a star system that contains at least 7 earth-sized probably rocky planets. For the back story, see my other videos on the subject, links in the description below. A new paper by researchers led by Cornell University planetary scientist Dr. Ramses Ramirez and Lisa Kaltenegger could signific... Read More

Key Insights

• 💦 The presence of hydrogen in a planet's atmosphere can expand its zone of habitability, increasing the chances of liquid water and potentially life.
• 🪐 Volcanic activity plays a crucial role in maintaining hydrogen in a planet's atmosphere, making it possible for planets like Trappist-1h to have habitable conditions.
• 🤔 Recent discoveries of extremely old fossils on Earth indicate that life may have arisen earlier than previously thought and could be more diverse than expected.
• 🛟 If confirmed, these ancient fossils suggest that life on Earth arose during Mars's warm and wet period, raising the possibility of life on Mars as well.
• 🛟 The ability of life to arise quickly under harsh conditions implies that microbial life could be present on other habitable worlds, such as the planets of Trappist-1.
• 🤑 Studying hydrogen-rich atmospheres can help identify the presence of potential life on distant planets, making instruments like the James Webb Space Telescope crucial for future discoveries.
• 🛟 The organic chemistry that leads to life may be relatively straightforward, suggesting that the universe could be filled with microbial life.

Questions & Answers

Q: How does the presence of hydrogen in a planet's atmosphere affect its zone of habitability?

Hydrogen acts as an indirect greenhouse gas, keeping greenhouse gases like methane around for longer periods, resulting in warmer temperatures and expanding the zone of habitability.

Q: Why is hydrogen difficult to hold onto in smaller, rocky planets?

Hydrogen is a light gas and tends to leak out into space instead of remaining in the atmospheres of smaller, rocky planets.

Q: How do volcanoes help maintain hydrogen in a planet's atmosphere?

Volcanic activity can produce hydrogen faster than it is lost, allowing planets like Trappist-1h to have a sufficient supply of hydrogen and favorable conditions for liquid water.

Q: What do the discoveries of older fossils on Earth suggest about the potential for microbial life on other planets?

If life arose on Earth under harsh conditions and within a few hundred million years of its formation, it suggests that microbial life could arise quickly on other habitable worlds as well.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Researchers have found that the presence of hydrogen in a planet's atmosphere can expand the zone of habitability, increasing the chances of liquid water and potentially life.

• Volcanic activity on planets like Trappist-1h could produce hydrogen faster than it is lost, making conditions favorable for liquid water.

• Recent discoveries of extremely old fossils on Earth suggest that life may have arisen earlier than previously thought, increasing the possibility of microbial life on other habitable worlds.