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At The Debrief: The Case for Alien Life Elevated By the Exciting First-Ever Confirmation of Two Exoplanet Water Worlds

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CHRISTOPHER PLAIN writes:

University of Montreal (UdeM) researchers have found the first confirmed exoplanets categorized as water worlds. Dubbed Kepler-138c and Kepler-138d, the two ‘super-Earths’ are essentially identical twins, with both about 1.9 times the size of the Earth. Astronomers had previously found an exoplanet they thought may be a water world, but that find still needs to be confirmed by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) sometime next year.

water worlds
A cross-section rendering of Earth and Kepler-138 d show the comparative compositions of both worlds. CREDIT: BENOIT GOUGEON, UNIVERSITÉ DE MONTRÉAL

Researchers tell The Debrief that more work is needed to fully understand the composition of Kepler-128c and Kepler-138d, and both exoplanets may only contain water vapor and no surface water. However, given that water is the fundamental building block for all life as we know it, the exciting first-ever confirmation of two exoplanet water worlds still dramatically increases the likelihood that alien life exists in the universe. 

Note: Water is probably the most common triatomic molecule in the universe; its presence in the composition of planets is not surprising. The claim that the discovery of “two exoplanet water worlds…dramatically increases the likelihood that alien life exists in the universe” is little more than media bait.

WATER WORLDS PREVIOUSLY THEORIZED BUT NOT CONFIRMED

Located in the Lyra constellation, which is about 218 light-years from Earth, the two new planets orbit an M-class (aka red dwarf) star called Kepler-138 or KOL-314. As a result, Kepler-138c and Kepler 138-d are much closer to their host star, with full orbits taking mere days (13.8 and 23.1, respectively) as opposed to the 365.25 days Earth takes to orbit the sun.

“We previously thought that planets that were a bit larger than Earth were big balls of metal and rock, like scaled-up versions of Earth, and that’s why we called them super-Earths,” explained Benneke in a press release announcing the find. “However, we have now shown that these two planets, Kepler-138c, and d, are quite different in nature: a big fraction of their entire volume is likely composed of water.”

In their published paper, which appears in the December 15 edition of Nature Astronomy, the researchers note that Hubble and Spitzer did not directly observe water on the two planets. Instead, their compositions were calculated based on the way they interact with the gravity of the other bodies in the Kepler-138 system. These calculations showed that the twin super-Earths were not as dense as rocky worlds but were denser than helium/hydrogen gas giants like Jupiter. As a result, the best (and likeliest) answer was that both planets contained a significant amount of water, classifying them as water worlds.

BOTH PLANETS MAY CONTAIN A LOT OF VAPOR AND LITTLE TO NO LIQUID WATER

While both Kepler-138c and d are likely swimming in water, so to speak, the researchers caution that most, if not all, of the water on these worlds may not be in liquid form on the surface.

“The water layer is so thick that it extends from the atmosphere all the way into the deep high-pressure interior of the planet,” Paulet told The Debrief. “Therefore, some of the water is in vapor form in the atmosphere while some is in high-pressure water phases such as the “supercritical” phase of water.”

Piaulet told The Debrief that some of the water could theoretically be in liquid form if clouds reflect away enough of the star’s light to cool down the planet a bit, but they’re more likely to expect a “supercritical water ocean” right below the vapor atmosphere. She also noted that pressure typically increases as you move below the surface, so the presence of underground water is even less likely.

“We have reason to believe that there may be more than these two “water worlds” out there, and still have yet to confirm whether what makes for their small density is indeed water or also involves methane or ammonia, which have similar densities as water,” she explained. “This question can only be solved by probing the atmospheres of these planets, indeed using space-based observatories such as JWST!”

Full article at The Debrief.
Comments
Yes, even among Democrats there are secret science deniers and closet white supremacists who support the grossly unfair Fascist meritocracy in the U.S. Fortunately, NOBODY will escape the upcoming inquisition! For example, all academics and students will be required to pass the Stanford Achievement Test (SAT), which will then consist of the approved word pairs. For example, here's the answer an easy one from Stanford's list: Racist and Colonialist term: American Currently Approved term: Citizen of the United States Other changes will include the replacement of the white-supremacist Credit Score with the Social Credit System currently being pioneered in China: https://thehill.com/opinion/finance/565860-coming-soon-americas-own-social-credit-system/ -QQuerius
December 23, 2022
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Fasteddious at 4, From a few years ago: "Step right up folks! Hurry, hurry, hurry! It's stupendous! It's tremendous! See the secrets of life on other planets revealed right here in tent number 4! You won't believe your eyes! Step right up! Don't be shy! Just two bits!" ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ "Anyone doubting this and pervasive evolution in the universe is a science denier and a racist." Possibly even a Democrat.relatd
December 23, 2022
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P.S. And I didn't even mention the goddess, Multiverse, in which there are billions and billions of universes over an essentially infinite amount of time and chance, through whom everything is possible and everything derives its existence (blessed be this "Queen of Heaven," the source of all our honorary positions, PhDs, and perpetual indulgences and grants)! -QQuerius
December 23, 2022
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Yes, indeed. The logic goes like this: 1. The earth has water and life. 2. Some exoplanets have water. 3. The exoplanets MUSTA evolved life! This because of (a) the passage of up to 13.8 billion years of probabilistic interactions, (b) lots of chemicals (clay-based, aqueous, and gaseous), (c) primordial soup, (d) lighting such as in Frankenstein movies, (e) heating and cooling, (f) water splashing between pools, (g) geothermal frying, (h) at least 52 amino acids identified within meteorites, and most importantly, (i) this is the consensus of scientists and their administrative superiors! Thus, concluding life is present in these newly discovered water planets is a given fact. Anyone doubting this and pervasive evolution in the universe is a science denier and a racist. The fact that life hasn't yet been found on Mars, is so far due to incomplete planetary surveys, but most certainly will be found in time. Or so the current narrative goes . . . -QQuerius
December 23, 2022
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Relatd @ 3: But surely, you must be aware that life from water and random chemicals is simply the magic of "emergence" (as debated ad-nauseum in a previous thread about consciousness). The true believers adopt "emergence" as one process in their just-so stories. Just as "natural selection" can produce miracles, emergence can bring rabbits out of hats, or rather, bacteria from prebiotic puddles.Fasteddious
December 23, 2022
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SG at 2, You missed the breathless comments from NASA every time certain chemicals or trace of water is found anywhere? It's life! Gotta be. Years ago, I watched on TV as it was explained that as a long as a planet was the right distance from its sun, had 'the building blocks of life' - amino acids - and water, then life would appear there. Appear how? Like in a movie? They have zero evidence, much less the ability to create life in a lab.relatd
December 23, 2022
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Relatd: This ‘media bait’ will continue until people realize that water on a planet does not automatically equal life exists there.
Nobody is suggesting that it does.Sir Giles
December 23, 2022
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This 'media bait' will continue until people realize that water on a planet does not automatically equal life exists there.relatd
December 23, 2022
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