Proxima B
In late August, 2016 NASA’s Propulsion Labrotory of Pasedena, California confirmed the existence of Proxima B. This planet is an exoplanet, which means its distance is far enough from its sun, Proxima Centauri to possibly contain water on the surface of the planet. It has been confirmed that this planet is a rocky planet, and in fact the closest planet orbiting a star outside of our solar system. Researchers are hoping that in a few decades there will be “robotic exploration” on the surface of Proxima B.
Proxima Centauri exists in a system Alpha Centauri, which is a well-studied star system. Proxima B is about four point two light years away, that rounds out to be twenty five trillion miles away. Their star Proxima Centauri which is a red dwarf star, it’s about fourpoint eighty five billion years old, which is also full of metals. While our sun is four point six billion years old and isn’t full of metals. The very first indications of this planet, were in 2013 by Mikko Tuami, in Chile, South America.
Proxima B is one point three times the size of earth, which means its orbit is smaller. This planet’s orbit only lasts eleven point two earth days, due to the size and placement of the planet. Researchers are thinking that the surface of eighty four and one hundred and four degrees Fahrenheit. If it doesn’t have an atmosphere, it would be anywhere between negative twenty two degrees and negative forty degrees Fahrenheit. If any life exists on this planet it would be impacted by the amount of radiation that is given off from the sun. Data has been collected for the past sixteen years about the star.
Scientists have figured out that Proxima Centauri is an active star, and it’s a low mass star, all the research was collected and published in 2000. In early August it was released that Proxima Centauri periodically erupts flares of radiation. Scientists still haven’t figured out if theirs water on the surface or if the planet has an atmosphere. Mission Centauri intends to design and build a space mission with a small telescope to get a closer look at the star system. The Starshot Project, aims to create and send an ultra-fast light driven nanocraft which would take about twenty years at light speed to reach this star system, it would then send home images.
Proxima B was discovered during the “Pale Dot Project.” October first, 1958 National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) was created. NASA studied between 1961 and 1963, about sending humans into space. On January thirty first, 1958 NASA sent Explorer One into space. Later on June twentieth, 1969 they fired up the engines at 9:32AM on Apollo eleven. Buzz Aldrin, and Neil Armstrong boarded, and they were ready for takeoff.
Ever since 1988, scientists have discovered over three thousand planets orbiting other stars that ours. Proxima B is the closest planet orbiting a different star that may contain life. Alpha Centauri is a triple star system that contains Proxima Centauri. There is a second potential planet orbiting around Proxima Centauri, which is a super earth which is much bigger that earth, and has an orbit la stint between sixty and five hundred days. NASA’s Trasiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) is hoping to find more planets in the backyard of our solar system.
