A group of astronomers detected a giant planet revolving around a small cool star. The rare discovery is about 35 light-years away from Earth.&nbsp;

According to the reports, the giant planet looked like Saturn and was detected by a 'wobble' in star's motion.&nbsp;

The 'wobble' is caused due to the gravitational pull of the planet.

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Radio Telescopes Find Extrasolar Planet Around Main-Sequence Star <a href="https://t.co/aN8066I5WK">https://t.co/aN8066I5WK</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/astronomy?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#astronomy</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/telescope?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#telescope</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/exoplanet?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#exoplanet</a> <a href="https://t.co/Un7Y8lIbDb">pic.twitter.com/Un7Y8lIbDb</a>
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The report published in SpaceRef said that this was the first time that the technique was successfully employed with observations obtained from a radio telescope. The technique is usually used for detecting Jupiter-like planets in orbits distant from the star. &nbsp;

The astronomers have named the giant planet as TVLM 513b. It has the mass similar to Saturn and its orbit is similar to that of Mercury.&nbsp;

It is rare to detect an extrasolar planet orbiting around small stars and the astronomers discovered TVLM 513b &nbsp;using the continent-wide Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA).&nbsp;

A group of astronomers detected a giant planet revolving around a small cool star. The rare discovery is about 35 light-years away from Earth. According to the reports, the giant planet looked like Saturn and was detected by a 'wobble' in star's motion.

A group of astronomers detected a giant planet revolving around a small cool star. The rare discovery is about 35 light-years away from Earth. According to the reports, the giant planet looked like Saturn and was detected by a 'wobble' in star's motion. The 'wobble' is caused due to the gravitational pull of the planet. Radio Telescopes Find Extrasolar Planet Around Main-Sequence Star https://t.co/aN8066I5WK #astronomy #telescope #exoplanet pic.twitter.com/Un7Y8lIbDb — SpaceRef (@SpaceRef) August 5, 2020 × The report published in SpaceRef said that this was the first time that the technique was successfully employed with observations obtained from a radio telescope. The technique is usually used for detecting Jupiter-like planets in orbits distant from the star. The astronomers have named the giant planet as TVLM 513b. It has the mass similar to Saturn and its orbit is similar to that of Mercury. It is rare to detect an extrasolar planet orbiting around small stars and the astronomers discovered TVLM 513b using the continent-wide Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA).

In a rare event, astronomers discover Saturn-like planet orbiting small cool star

Throughout this week, Jupiter will be at its brightest in the sky. The planet will reach “opposition” last night (July 14), which implies that the planet will now be directly opposite the sun in the sky, and the nearest to Earth.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="/science/earths-magnetic-poles-may-be-flipping-by-10deg-each-year-way-more-than-previously-thought-312931" hreflang="en">Earth's magnetic poles may be flipping by 10° each year, way more than previously thought!</a>

Due to this, the planet will be visible with the naked eye in the constellation Sagittarius for the whole month. People in North America will be able to see the constellation. One can follow the Summer Triangle asterism to find the constellation if you’re unable to find it. This can be achieved by imagining a line from the Deneb star, and then through the Altari star, through which one could locate the constellation.

Leave the city!

To get the best view of the planet, one should get out of the city lights, and buildings around the city. Also, once you are able to reach a pitch dark location, give your eyes 15 minutes to acclimatise to the red filters.

<h6><img alt="This NASA image taken on September 1, 2017 and obtained on February 21, 2020 shows Jupiter's southern equatorial region. The image is oriented so Jupiter's poles (not visible) run left-to-right of frame. " data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="786f1d95-25b2-4e95-bdfd-f3cde84fac36" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design_118.jpg" /> 
This NASA image taken on September 1, 2017 and obtained on February 21, 2020 shows Jupiter's southern equatorial region. The image is oriented so Jupiter's poles (not visible) run left-to-right of frame. | AFP 
&nbsp;</h6>

The planet will be visible in the sky immediately after sunset, and will be at a magnitude of -2.7, which denotes the brightness of the planet. The more negative this is, the more bright the planet is. Today, Jupiter will be brighter than the star which emits the most light in the Earth sky - Sirius, a Northern Hemisphere star.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="/science/we-all-come-from-star-dust-is-no-longer-just-a-saying-and-scientists-agree-311418" hreflang="en">'We all come from star dust' is no longer just a saying, and scientists agree!</a>

Last night, the planet reached its highest points in the sky around midnight, giving a glimpse of the star.

If you wish to witness the planet’s movement - a pair of binoculars will come in handy! A telescope is also a good accessory to witness the planet’s movement.

However, incase the sky is hazed with clouds and you are unable to witness it, don’t fret. The planet will be visible for the upcoming weeks.

According to a skywatching website - In The Sky, the planet will reach its highest point in the sky every night, but with a haste of 4 minutes over the preceding night. Additionally, it may be witnessed in the evening sky for a few months.

Throughout this week, Jupiter will be at its brightest in the sky. The planet will reach “opposition” last night (July 14), which implies that the planet will now be directly opposite the sun in the sky, and the nearest to Earth.

Throughout this week, Jupiter will be at its brightest in the sky. The planet will reach “opposition” last night (July 14), which implies that the planet will now be directly opposite the sun in the sky, and the nearest to Earth. Also read: Earth's magnetic poles may be flipping by 10° each year, way more than previously thought! Due to this, the planet will be visible with the naked eye in the constellation Sagittarius for the whole month. People in North America will be able to see the constellation. One can follow the Summer Triangle asterism to find the constellation if you’re unable to find it. This can be achieved by imagining a line from the Deneb star, and then through the Altari star, through which one could locate the constellation. Leave the city! To get the best view of the planet, one should get out of the city lights, and buildings around the city. Also, once you are able to reach a pitch dark location, give your eyes 15 minutes to acclimatise to the red filters. This NASA image taken on September 1, 2017 and obtained on February 21, 2020 shows Jupiter's southern equatorial region. The image is oriented so Jupiter's poles (not visible) run left-to-right of frame. | AFP The planet will be visible in the sky immediately after sunset, and will be at a magnitude of -2.7, which denotes the brightness of the planet. The more negative this is, the more bright the planet is. Today, Jupiter will be brighter than the star which emits the most light in the Earth sky - Sirius, a Northern Hemisphere star. Also read: 'We all come from star dust' is no longer just a saying, and scientists agree! Last night, the planet reached its highest points in the sky around midnight, giving a glimpse of the star. If you wish to witness the planet’s movement - a pair of binoculars will come in handy! A telescope is also a good accessory to witness the planet’s movement. However, incase the sky is hazed with clouds and you are unable to witness it, don’t fret. The planet will be visible for the upcoming weeks. According to a skywatching website - In The Sky, the planet will reach its highest point in the sky every night, but with a haste of 4 minutes over the preceding night. Additionally, it may be witnessed in the evening sky for a few months.

Jupiter is currently emitting more light than our brightest star Sirius!

The United Arab Emirates has postponed the launch of its mission to Mars due to weather conditions at the launch site in Japan.

The UAE government communications office said that a new launch date in July will be announced soon.

The UAE's Hope Probe, the first interplanetary mission by an Arab country, was due to launch from Japan’s Tanegashima Space Center at 12:51am UAE time on Wednesday&nbsp;for a seven-month journey to the red planet. 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/nasas-curiosity-rover-embarks-on-mars-road-trip-312520">Also Read: NASA's Curiosity rover embarks on Mars road trip</a>

While the mission objective is to provide a comprehensive image of the weather dynamics in Mars' atmosphere and pave the way for scientific breakthroughs, the probe is a foundation for a much bigger goal - building a human settlement on Mars within the next 100 years.

The oil-rich Gulf nation plan to establish a "science city" on Earth that will reproduce Mars' atmospheric conditions, with the goal of establishing a human colony on the Red Planet around 2117. 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/us-china-and-uae-all-set-to-take-advantage-of-mars-current-position-312295">Also Read: US, China and UAE all set to take advantage of Mars' current position</a>

Only the United States, India, the former Soviet Union, and the European Space Agency have successfully sent missions to orbit the Red Planet, while China is preparing to launch its first Mars rover later this month.

(With inputs from agencies)

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The United Arab Emirates has postponed the launch of its mission to Mars due to weather conditions at the launch site in Japan. The UAE government communications office said that a new launch date in July will be announced soon.

The United Arab Emirates has postponed the launch of its mission to Mars due to weather conditions at the launch site in Japan. The UAE government communications office said that a new launch date in July will be announced soon. The UAE's Hope Probe, the first interplanetary mission by an Arab country, was due to launch from Japan’s Tanegashima Space Center at 12:51am UAE time on Wednesday for a seven-month journey to the red planet. Also Read: NASA's Curiosity rover embarks on Mars road trip While the mission objective is to provide a comprehensive image of the weather dynamics in Mars' atmosphere and pave the way for scientific breakthroughs, the probe is a foundation for a much bigger goal - building a human settlement on Mars within the next 100 years. The oil-rich Gulf nation plan to establish a "science city" on Earth that will reproduce Mars' atmospheric conditions, with the goal of establishing a human colony on the Red Planet around 2117. Also Read: US, China and UAE all set to take advantage of Mars' current position Only the United States, India, the former Soviet Union, and the European Space Agency have successfully sent missions to orbit the Red Planet, while China is preparing to launch its first Mars rover later this month. (With inputs from agencies)

UAE Mars mission postponed due to weather conditions

Prime Minister Narendra Modi delivers the inaugural address on the occasion of the 95th annual plenary session of Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC) today.

'Must work on reducing imports and to make self-reliant India', says PM Modi

Today the world is observing World Environment day and millions are posting on social media about saving the planet and this year's theme is "Time for Nature". Watch report.

World Environment Day: The great barrier reef turns 'white'

Images taken by an European observatory claim to show a new planet being formed. WION's Executive Editor Palki Sharma Upadhyay gets you a report on this historic development.

Gravitas: Is a new planet on its way?

The world has come to an abrupt halt, quite literally!

As the killer COVID-19 pandemic slows down the economy, the streets look more doomsday than ever before!

Turns out, the earth is also less noisy! Seismologists around the world have now observed that the ambient seismic noise is way lesser than it was a month ago.

For clarity, ambient seismic noise refers to subtle noise pollution caused by vehicles, public transport, and essentially, people!

Owing to this, the planet’s upper crust is witnessing lesser movement.

First recorded at the Royal Observatory in Belgium by Thomas Lecocq, a seismologist, the city of Brussels witnessed a whooping 30 to 50 per cent reduction in seismic noises.

As social distancing becomes the norm, most institutions remain shut. In Christian countries, the same noise level is recorded on Christmas Day, the major yearly festival.

<h6><img alt="lo" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="d1bf4774-39c7-4c42-b201-9d6e19bbbce2" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20%283%29_62.jpg" /> 
Earth from space | AFP 
&nbsp;</h6>

What does this mean?

The effect of decreased noise is simple: seismologists can now record smaller earthquakes and certain smaller events. If this were the norm, many earthquakes could be recorded earlier with quicker mitigation measures!

In conversation with CNN, Lecocq said that the Brussels station is otherwise useless.

Usually, such stations are situated outside cities to evade the noise and for better performance. However, the one in Brussels was made over a century ago, with the city growing around it.

This suggests that people over the world are, for once, not ignoring the warnings by authorities to stay inside and minimise outdoor activity.

This data, in turn, could be used to understand the success and failure of containment measures, ie, where they’ve been more effective and where not.

Based on this, quick mitigation strategies could be organised in states performing badly.

The world has come to an abrupt halt, quite literally! As the killer COVID-19 pandemic slows down the economy, the streets look more doomsday than ever before! Turns out, the earth is also less noisy!

The world has come to an abrupt halt, quite literally! As the killer COVID-19 pandemic slows down the economy, the streets look more doomsday than ever before! Turns out, the earth is also less noisy! Seismologists around the world have now observed that the ambient seismic noise is way lesser than it was a month ago. For clarity, ambient seismic noise refers to subtle noise pollution caused by vehicles, public transport, and essentially, people! Owing to this, the planet’s upper crust is witnessing lesser movement. First recorded at the Royal Observatory in Belgium by Thomas Lecocq, a seismologist, the city of Brussels witnessed a whooping 30 to 50 per cent reduction in seismic noises. As social distancing becomes the norm, most institutions remain shut. In Christian countries, the same noise level is recorded on Christmas Day, the major yearly festival. Earth from space | AFP What does this mean? The effect of decreased noise is simple: seismologists can now record smaller earthquakes and certain smaller events. If this were the norm, many earthquakes could be recorded earlier with quicker mitigation measures! In conversation with CNN, Lecocq said that the Brussels station is otherwise useless. Usually, such stations are situated outside cities to evade the noise and for better performance. However, the one in Brussels was made over a century ago, with the city growing around it. This suggests that people over the world are, for once, not ignoring the warnings by authorities to stay inside and minimise outdoor activity. This data, in turn, could be used to understand the success and failure of containment measures, ie, where they’ve been more effective and where not. Based on this, quick mitigation strategies could be organised in states performing badly.

Earth is less noisy during COVID-19, say seismologists

Is binge-watching bad for the planet? Can an asthma inhaler be bad for the environment? Watch this report from Gravitas on how humans are unknowingly polluting the environment.

Gravitas: Can binge watching cause pollution?

Scientists for the first time have detected water in the atmosphere of an Earth-like planet orbiting a distant star, evidence that a key ingredient for life exists beyond our solar system. The newest exciting find involves K2-18 b, a planet about 110 light-years from Earth.&nbsp;

In an interview to WION, lead author of a study at University College London (UCL), Angelos Tsiaras, said the&nbsp;K2-18 b&nbsp;planet is the best candidate to be a habitable place out there and added that life can evolve in different ways.&nbsp;

"Like here on earth, we have the extremophiles, these are kind of life that exist in extreme environments something like volcanoes or very deep in the oceans where humans would not be able to live. Hence it could be possible that other forms of life in the universe evolve in a way that they don't need water, who knows that hence we need to find out!", said Tsiaras.

When asked about the next steps and other factors, besides water that&nbsp;confirm the existence of life, Tsiaras said,&nbsp;"The next step will be the James webspace telescope which will be able to give us a much better spectrum of the planet and also help in finding methane which is a sign of life."

Here is the full excerpt&nbsp;of the conversation-

WION: Why is this discovery of water on the exo-planet significant? Does this mean that life exists in other places in the universe?

Tsiaras: No, we cannot answer this question with the current observation. We can say that this planet from what we know right now is the best candidate to be a habitable place out there in the universe. But to find the science of life or a really habitable planet, we will need much better observations. This will come in the next decades. So, unless we have this big telescopes we cannot say more than the existence of water and the existence of an atmosphere around this planet which has very pleasant temperatures similar to the earth.

WION-What more do we know about this exo-planet? Is it a gas giant or does it have a surface to speak of?

Tsiaras: So, we know that the planet has the density that is similar to Mars or the Moon. This means probably that it has a surface. It is definitely not a gas giant. We know that based on the mass and the radius. But given that we cannot really observe the surface and we cannot say much about the surface itself. I can only think of that.

WION- The exo-planet is said to be in the habitable zone but the dwarf star around which it is orbiting is said to be more active. How does this complicate things for the emergence of life?

Tsiaras: These stars are more active than our sun. But until now there have been many studies that are trying to understand whether this is hostile or not. So for example, this star is not that active as per example some has a temperature around 3,5000 kelvin, so it has an activity and it has some more harmful radiation. But we have not detected any flares so very hostile events. In addition, if you think of an atmosphere that it is bigger than ours, so this is probably working as a better against this radiation.

WION-So what is the next step? What else besides water confirms the existence of life?

Tsiaras: The next step will be the James webspace telescope which is three times bigger than Hubble and will be flying in 2021 very soon. It will be able to give us a much better spectrum of the planet and it is a very interesting one. So I believe that we will try to find methane as a next step. As we know that on earth methane is a sign of life. It is produced because life is here. we don't know if life outside universe is working in the same way. Life in a different place could evolve differently and produce different kind of gases. What we are actually looking at is gases that shouldn't be there. Assuming that we put together a mix of certain elements we expect certain molecules to exist in an atmosphere. If we find something that it is not right and it shouldn't be there it is a sign that it could because, of life, this is what we call as biomarkers. 
Our estimate is not very good. We don't know how much water is there. So the estimate is between 0.01 per cent up to 50 per cent. It's a huge race. We don't know. It could be made out of water. For example here on Earth, mostly the atmosphere is made of Nitrogen. Imagine an atmosphere which is mainly made of water, that would be a completely different atmosphere. We will be able to bring down this estimate with smaller and certainty with future telescopes.

WION-How is the water found on this exoplanet different from the water found on the moons of Jupiter and Saturn?

Tsiaras: So the water in the icy moon is an ocean and it is liquid water. Here we are talking about gaseous water. We don't know if there is indeed liquid water. We know that the planet can support liquid water so presumably, we can say but not sure. In the moon, the water is beneath the surface, it's something different. The moon is covered with ice crusts and water lives beneath that.

Scientists for the first time have detected water in the atmosphere of an Earth-like planet orbiting a distant star, evidence that a key ingredient for life exists beyond our solar system.

Scientists for the first time have detected water in the atmosphere of an Earth-like planet orbiting a distant star, evidence that a key ingredient for life exists beyond our solar system. The newest exciting find involves K2-18 b, a planet about 110 light-years from Earth. In an interview to WION, lead author of a study at University College London (UCL), Angelos Tsiaras, said the K2-18 b planet is the best candidate to be a habitable place out there and added that life can evolve in different ways. "Like here on earth, we have the extremophiles, these are kind of life that exist in extreme environments something like volcanoes or very deep in the oceans where humans would not be able to live. Hence it could be possible that other forms of life in the universe evolve in a way that they don't need water, who knows that hence we need to find out!", said Tsiaras. When asked about the next steps and other factors, besides water that confirm the existence of life, Tsiaras said, "The next step will be the James webspace telescope which will be able to give us a much better spectrum of the planet and also help in finding methane which is a sign of life." Here is the full excerpt of the conversation- WION: Why is this discovery of water on the exo-planet significant? Does this mean that life exists in other places in the universe? Tsiaras: No, we cannot answer this question with the current observation. We can say that this planet from what we know right now is the best candidate to be a habitable place out there in the universe. But to find the science of life or a really habitable planet, we will need much better observations. This will come in the next decades. So, unless we have this big telescopes we cannot say more than the existence of water and the existence of an atmosphere around this planet which has very pleasant temperatures similar to the earth. WION-What more do we know about this exo-planet? Is it a gas giant or does it have a surface to speak of? Tsiaras: So, we know that the planet has the density that is similar to Mars or the Moon. This means probably that it has a surface. It is definitely not a gas giant. We know that based on the mass and the radius. But given that we cannot really observe the surface and we cannot say much about the surface itself. I can only think of that. WION- The exo-planet is said to be in the habitable zone but the dwarf star around which it is orbiting is said to be more active. How does this complicate things for the emergence of life? Tsiaras: These stars are more active than our sun. But until now there have been many studies that are trying to understand whether this is hostile or not. So for example, this star is not that active as per example some has a temperature around 3,5000 kelvin, so it has an activity and it has some more harmful radiation. But we have not detected any flares so very hostile events. In addition, if you think of an atmosphere that it is bigger than ours, so this is probably working as a better against this radiation. WION-So what is the next step? What else besides water confirms the existence of life? Tsiaras: The next step will be the James webspace telescope which is three times bigger than Hubble and will be flying in 2021 very soon. It will be able to give us a much better spectrum of the planet and it is a very interesting one. So I believe that we will try to find methane as a next step. As we know that on earth methane is a sign of life. It is produced because life is here. we don't know if life outside universe is working in the same way. Life in a different place could evolve differently and produce different kind of gases. What we are actually looking at is gases that shouldn't be there. Assuming that we put together a mix of certain elements we expect certain molecules to exist in an atmosphere. If we find something that it is not right and it shouldn't be there it is a sign that it could because, of life, this is what we call as biomarkers. Our estimate is not very good. We don't know how much water is there. So the estimate is between 0.01 per cent up to 50 per cent. It's a huge race. We don't know. It could be made out of water. For example here on Earth, mostly the atmosphere is made of Nitrogen. Imagine an atmosphere which is mainly made of water, that would be a completely different atmosphere. We will be able to bring down this estimate with smaller and certainty with future telescopes. WION-How is the water found on this exoplanet different from the water found on the moons of Jupiter and Saturn? Tsiaras: So the water in the icy moon is an ocean and it is liquid water. Here we are talking about gaseous water. We don't know if there is indeed liquid water. We know that the planet can support liquid water so presumably, we can say but not sure. In the moon, the water is beneath the surface, it's something different. The moon is covered with ice crusts and water lives beneath that.

K2-18 b planet is best candidate for life beyond Earth: Astronomer Tsiaras to WION

Water found on exoplanet K2-18B and the discovery made by hubble telescope.

Your Story: Angelos Tsiaras, Astronomer on water discovered on Exoplanet

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No <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/what-evolutionary-theory-can-teach-us-about-the-appearance-of-aliens-23464">alien activity</a> was suspected after PMO office ordered an immediate inquiry on the basis of a mail that alien-like elements were found near the house of the man who raised the issue.

At the PMO's direction, Sinhagad road police station started an inquiry and visited the place where the person who mailed the PMO was residing.&nbsp;

After a thorough investigation, it was found that the person is recovering from a brain tumour operation.&nbsp;

After he felt that he saw some alien-like elements next to his house, he wrote an email to PMO office mentioning that aliens were collecting information and sending it to their home planet and they were planning an attack on Earth from their planet.&nbsp;

Notably, the applicant is well qualified and holds a Masters degree in Chemistry.

Senior Police Inspector of Sinhagad Road Police Station Pune, Sardar Patil said: "We have received an application around 15 days back and the person is from Pune who registered a complaint stating that near Sinhagad road there is a forest where he noticed some suspicious activities. In his complaint, he mentioned that some aliens are there who are sending our country`s information to their planet for which they have set up radar and floodlight system."

"According to the claims made by the person, whenever he used to look outside from his window, aliens clicked his pictures and even tried to contact him. But when we reached there, nothing suspicious was found there. His wife told nothing is there. She informed us that her husband had a brain tumour operation recently and he is still recovering," Patil added.

No alien activity was suspected after PMO office ordered an immediate inquiry on the basis of a mail that alien-like elements were found near the house of the man who raised the issue.

No alien activity was suspected after PMO office ordered an immediate inquiry on the basis of a mail that alien-like elements were found near the house of the man who raised the issue. At the PMO's direction, Sinhagad road police station started an inquiry and visited the place where the person who mailed the PMO was residing. After a thorough investigation, it was found that the person is recovering from a brain tumour operation. After he felt that he saw some alien-like elements next to his house, he wrote an email to PMO office mentioning that aliens were collecting information and sending it to their home planet and they were planning an attack on Earth from their planet. Notably, the applicant is well qualified and holds a Masters degree in Chemistry. Senior Police Inspector of Sinhagad Road Police Station Pune, Sardar Patil said: "We have received an application around 15 days back and the person is from Pune who registered a complaint stating that near Sinhagad road there is a forest where he noticed some suspicious activities. In his complaint, he mentioned that some aliens are there who are sending our country`s information to their planet for which they have set up radar and floodlight system." "According to the claims made by the person, whenever he used to look outside from his window, aliens clicked his pictures and even tried to contact him. But when we reached there, nothing suspicious was found there. His wife told nothing is there. She informed us that her husband had a brain tumour operation recently and he is still recovering," Patil added.

Pune: PMO inquiry finds no alien-like activity

*By Anne Cleary

The environmental movement is shifting away from focusing solely on raising awareness about environmental issues. Many environmental agencies and organisations now also aim to connect people with nature, and our new research suggests daily doses of urban nature may be the key to this for the majority who live in cities.

Every year in the United Kingdom the Wildlife Trusts run the 30 Days Wild campaign. This encourages people to carry out a daily “random act of wildness” for the month of June. The International Union for Conservation of Nature recently launched its #NatureForAll program, which aims to inspire a love of nature.

This shift in focus is starting to appear in environmental policy. For example, the UK’s recent 25-year environment plan identifies connecting people with the environment as one of its six key areas. Similarly, in Australia, the state of Victoria’s Biodiversity 2037 plan aims to connect all Victorians to nature as one of two overarching objectives.

The thinking behind such efforts is simple: connecting people to nature will motivate them to act in ways that protect and care for nature. Evidence does suggest that people who have a high nature connection are likely to display pro-environmental attitudes and behaviours.

Looking beyond the park

What is less clear is how to enhance an individual’s nature connection – that is feeling that they are a part of nature. Over half of all people globally, and nine out of ten people in Australia, live in urban environments. This reduces their opportunities to experience and connect with nature.

Our new study may offer some answers. A survey of Brisbane residents showed that people who experienced nature during childhood or had regular contact with nature in their home and suburb were more likely to report feeling connected with nature.

The study used a broad definition of urban nature to include all the plants and animals that live in a city. When looking to connect urban residents with local nature we need to take a broad view and look “beyond the park”. All aspects of nature in the city offer a potential opportunity for people to experience nature and develop their sense of connection to it.

The study also looked at the relationship between childhood and adult nature experiences. Results suggest that people who lack childhood experience of nature can still come to have a high sense of nature connection by experiencing nature as an adult.

There have been focused efforts on connecting children to nature, such as the Forest Schools and Nature Play programs. Equal effort should be given to promoting adult nature experiences and nature connection, particularly for people who lack such experiences.

The benefits of nature experience

We still have much to discover about how an individual’s nature connection is shaped. We need a better understanding of how people from diverse cultural and social contexts experience and connect to different types of nature. That said, we are starting to understand the important role that frequent local experiences of nature may play.

In addition to boosting people’s sense of nature connection, daily doses of urban nature deliver the benefits of improved physical, mental and social wellbeing. A growing evidence base is showing that exposure to nature, particularly in urban environments, can lead to healthier and happier city dwellers.

Robert Dunn and colleagues have already advocated for the importance of urban nature experiences as a way to bolster city residents’ support for conservation. They described the “pigeon paradox” whereby experiencing urban nature, which is often of low ecological value – such as interactions with non-native species – may have wider environmental benefits through people behaving in more environmentally conscious ways. They proposed that the future of conservation depended on city residents’ ability to experience urban nature.

As new evidence emerges we need to build on this thinking. It would seem that the future of our very connection to nature, our wellbeing and conservation depend on urban people’s ability to experience urban nature.

*Anne Cleary is a Research Fellow, School of Medicine at the Griffith University.

(This article was originally published on <a href="https://theconversation.com/ca">The Conversation</a>. Read the&nbsp;<a href="https://theconversation.com/why-daily-doses-of-nature-in-the-city-matter-for-people-and-the-planet-106918">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

*By Anne Cleary The environmental movement is shifting away from focusing solely on raising awareness about environmental issues. Many environmental agencies and organisations now also aim to connect people with nature, and our new research suggests daily doses of urban nature may be the key to this for the majority who live in cities.

*By Anne Cleary The environmental movement is shifting away from focusing solely on raising awareness about environmental issues. Many environmental agencies and organisations now also aim to connect people with nature, and our new research suggests daily doses of urban nature may be the key to this for the majority who live in cities. Every year in the United Kingdom the Wildlife Trusts run the 30 Days Wild campaign. This encourages people to carry out a daily “random act of wildness” for the month of June. The International Union for Conservation of Nature recently launched its #NatureForAll program, which aims to inspire a love of nature. This shift in focus is starting to appear in environmental policy. For example, the UK’s recent 25-year environment plan identifies connecting people with the environment as one of its six key areas. Similarly, in Australia, the state of Victoria’s Biodiversity 2037 plan aims to connect all Victorians to nature as one of two overarching objectives. The thinking behind such efforts is simple: connecting people to nature will motivate them to act in ways that protect and care for nature. Evidence does suggest that people who have a high nature connection are likely to display pro-environmental attitudes and behaviours. Looking beyond the park What is less clear is how to enhance an individual’s nature connection – that is feeling that they are a part of nature. Over half of all people globally, and nine out of ten people in Australia, live in urban environments. This reduces their opportunities to experience and connect with nature. Our new study may offer some answers. A survey of Brisbane residents showed that people who experienced nature during childhood or had regular contact with nature in their home and suburb were more likely to report feeling connected with nature. The study used a broad definition of urban nature to include all the plants and animals that live in a city. When looking to connect urban residents with local nature we need to take a broad view and look “beyond the park”. All aspects of nature in the city offer a potential opportunity for people to experience nature and develop their sense of connection to it. The study also looked at the relationship between childhood and adult nature experiences. Results suggest that people who lack childhood experience of nature can still come to have a high sense of nature connection by experiencing nature as an adult. There have been focused efforts on connecting children to nature, such as the Forest Schools and Nature Play programs. Equal effort should be given to promoting adult nature experiences and nature connection, particularly for people who lack such experiences. The benefits of nature experience We still have much to discover about how an individual’s nature connection is shaped. We need a better understanding of how people from diverse cultural and social contexts experience and connect to different types of nature. That said, we are starting to understand the important role that frequent local experiences of nature may play. In addition to boosting people’s sense of nature connection, daily doses of urban nature deliver the benefits of improved physical, mental and social wellbeing. A growing evidence base is showing that exposure to nature, particularly in urban environments, can lead to healthier and happier city dwellers. Robert Dunn and colleagues have already advocated for the importance of urban nature experiences as a way to bolster city residents’ support for conservation. They described the “pigeon paradox” whereby experiencing urban nature, which is often of low ecological value – such as interactions with non-native species – may have wider environmental benefits through people behaving in more environmentally conscious ways. They proposed that the future of conservation depended on city residents’ ability to experience urban nature. As new evidence emerges we need to build on this thinking. It would seem that the future of our very connection to nature, our wellbeing and conservation depend on urban people’s ability to experience urban nature. *Anne Cleary is a Research Fellow, School of Medicine at the Griffith University. (This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Why daily doses of nature in the city matter for people and the planet

Is Mercury's core liquid or solid, and why -- on the smallest planet in our solar system -- is it so big? What can the planet closest to the Sun tell us about how our solar system came into being?

An unmanned European-Japanese space mission, dubbed BepiColombo, blasted off early Saturday morning from French Guiana, to probe these and other mysteries.

"BepiColombo is coming like a white knight with better and more precise data," said Alain Doressoundiram, an astronomer at the Paris Observatory.

"To understand how Earth was formed, we need to understand how all rocky planets formed," including Venus and Mars, he told AFP.&nbsp;

"Mercury stands apart and we don't know why."

First, however, the suite of instruments on board the Ariane 5 rocket will have to travel seven years and nine million kilometres (5.6 million miles) to reach their destination.

In a statement after the launch, ArianeGroup said the satellite had successfully escaped Earth's gravity field and was beginning its long journey where it will reach speeds of up to 40,000 kilometres (25,000 miles) an hour.

According to Pierre Bousquet, an engineer at France's National Centre for Space Research and head of the French team contributing to the mission, Mercury is "abnormally small," leading to speculation that it survived a massive collision in its youth.

"A huge crater visible on its surface could be the scar left over from that encounter," Bousquet told AFP. Finding out if this is true is on BepiColombo's "to do" list.

Going hot and cold&nbsp;

This scenario would explain why Mercury's core accounts for a whopping 55 percent of its mass, compared to 30 percent for Earth.

Mercury is also the only rocky planet orbiting the Sun beside our own to have a magnetic field.

Magnetic fields are generated by a liquid core but given its size, Mercury's should have grown cold and solid by now, as did Mars.

This anomaly might be due to some feature of the core's composition, something BepiColombo's instruments will measure with much greater precision than has been possible so far.

On its surface, Mercury is a planet of extremes, vacillating between hot days of about 430 degrees Celsius (more than 800 degrees Fahrenheit) to super-frosty nights of minus 180C (minus 290F).&nbsp;

Those days and nights last nearly three Earth months each.

Earlier missions have detected evidence of ice in the deepest recesses of the planet's polar craters.

Scientists speculate that this may have accumulated from comets crashing onto Mercury's surface.

"If the presence of ice is confirmed, it means that some of those water samples date back nearly to the origin of the solar system," Doressoundiram said.

Lashed by solar winds&nbsp;

Mercury is 58 million kilometres (36 million miles) from the Sun, nearly three times closer than Earth.

"The planet is whipped by solar winds," a constant torrent of ionised particles bombarding the surface at 500 kilometres per second, said Bousquet.

The scientists will be able to study the impact of these winds -- 10 times stronger than the ones hitting Earth's atmosphere -- on Mercury's magnetic field.

The BepiColombo mission will deploy two spacecraft. The Mercury Planet Orbiter, built by ESA, will investigate planet's surface and interior composition.

The Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter, made by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, will study the region of space around the planet that is influenced by its magnetic field. &nbsp;&nbsp;

The mission will also look for tectonic activity, and seek to understand why spectroscopic observations show no iron even if it is thought to be one of the planet's major component elements.

Compared to Mars, Venus, and Saturn, Mercury has barely been explored. Only two spacecraft have ever paid it a visit.&nbsp;

NASA's Mariner 10 did three flybys in 1974 and 1975, providing the first up-close images. More than 30 years later, NASA's Messenger did the same, before settling into orbit around Mercury in 2011.

The new mission is named after Giuseppe (Bepi) Colombo, a brilliant Italian mathematician and engineer who first understood the relationship between Mercury’s rotation and orbit.

Is Mercury's core liquid or solid, and why -- on the smallest planet in our solar system -- is it so big? What can the planet closest to the Sun tell us about how our solar system came into being?

Is Mercury's core liquid or solid, and why -- on the smallest planet in our solar system -- is it so big? What can the planet closest to the Sun tell us about how our solar system came into being? An unmanned European-Japanese space mission, dubbed BepiColombo, blasted off early Saturday morning from French Guiana, to probe these and other mysteries. "BepiColombo is coming like a white knight with better and more precise data," said Alain Doressoundiram, an astronomer at the Paris Observatory. "To understand how Earth was formed, we need to understand how all rocky planets formed," including Venus and Mars, he told AFP. "Mercury stands apart and we don't know why." First, however, the suite of instruments on board the Ariane 5 rocket will have to travel seven years and nine million kilometres (5.6 million miles) to reach their destination. In a statement after the launch, ArianeGroup said the satellite had successfully escaped Earth's gravity field and was beginning its long journey where it will reach speeds of up to 40,000 kilometres (25,000 miles) an hour. According to Pierre Bousquet, an engineer at France's National Centre for Space Research and head of the French team contributing to the mission, Mercury is "abnormally small," leading to speculation that it survived a massive collision in its youth. "A huge crater visible on its surface could be the scar left over from that encounter," Bousquet told AFP. Finding out if this is true is on BepiColombo's "to do" list. Going hot and cold This scenario would explain why Mercury's core accounts for a whopping 55 percent of its mass, compared to 30 percent for Earth. Mercury is also the only rocky planet orbiting the Sun beside our own to have a magnetic field. Magnetic fields are generated by a liquid core but given its size, Mercury's should have grown cold and solid by now, as did Mars. This anomaly might be due to some feature of the core's composition, something BepiColombo's instruments will measure with much greater precision than has been possible so far. On its surface, Mercury is a planet of extremes, vacillating between hot days of about 430 degrees Celsius (more than 800 degrees Fahrenheit) to super-frosty nights of minus 180C (minus 290F). Those days and nights last nearly three Earth months each. Earlier missions have detected evidence of ice in the deepest recesses of the planet's polar craters. Scientists speculate that this may have accumulated from comets crashing onto Mercury's surface. "If the presence of ice is confirmed, it means that some of those water samples date back nearly to the origin of the solar system," Doressoundiram said. Lashed by solar winds Mercury is 58 million kilometres (36 million miles) from the Sun, nearly three times closer than Earth. "The planet is whipped by solar winds," a constant torrent of ionised particles bombarding the surface at 500 kilometres per second, said Bousquet. The scientists will be able to study the impact of these winds -- 10 times stronger than the ones hitting Earth's atmosphere -- on Mercury's magnetic field. The BepiColombo mission will deploy two spacecraft. The Mercury Planet Orbiter, built by ESA, will investigate planet's surface and interior composition. The Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter, made by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, will study the region of space around the planet that is influenced by its magnetic field. The mission will also look for tectonic activity, and seek to understand why spectroscopic observations show no iron even if it is thought to be one of the planet's major component elements. Compared to Mars, Venus, and Saturn, Mercury has barely been explored. Only two spacecraft have ever paid it a visit. NASA's Mariner 10 did three flybys in 1974 and 1975, providing the first up-close images. More than 30 years later, NASA's Messenger did the same, before settling into orbit around Mercury in 2011. The new mission is named after Giuseppe (Bepi) Colombo, a brilliant Italian mathematician and engineer who first understood the relationship between Mercury’s rotation and orbit.

Mercury mission to explore origin of Solar System

Scientists at the Physical Research Laboratory of ISRO in Ahmedabad have now discovered a or super-Neptune size exoplanet which is about 27 the mass of Earth and about six times its radius.&nbsp;

As per ISRO, the planet, known as EPIC 211945201b or K2-236b, is 600 lightyears away from the Earth and revolves around a sun-like star in about 19.5 days.&nbsp;

The scientific team, led by Prof Abhijit Chakraborty made the discovery. Initially, NASA’s K2 (Kepler), a space observatory that continually monitors the brightness of the stars, picked up an anomaly in one of its photometry readings.

It goes around the star and therefore blocks a tiny amount of star-light. By measuring the amount of light blocked by the planet body, the diameter or size of the planet can be measured. It was found to be 6 Earth radii. However, that data was not sufficient to confirm the planetary nature of the system.

The team then made the discovery by measuring the mass of the planet using the indigenously designed &nbsp;“PRL Advance Radial-velocity Abu-sky Search” (PARAS) spectrograph integrated with 1.2m Telescope at PRL’s Gurushikhar Observatory in Mount Abu, India.&nbsp;

The surface temperature of the planet is around 600°C. This might make it unhabitable, but such a discovery is of importance for understanding the formation mechanism of such super-Neptune or sub-Saturn kind of planets, that are too close to the host star.

The PRL scientists observed the target over a time-baseline of 420 days (in about 1.5 years) using the PARAS spectrograph for probing the nature of the system. Based on the mass and radius, model-dependent calculations suggest that the heavy elements, like ice, silicates, and iron content is 60-70 % of the total mass

With this discovery, India has joined a select league of countries which has discovered planets around stars.

<img alt="Capture_0.PNG" data-entity-type="" data-entity-uuid="" height="414" src="http://images.wionews.com/iniline-images/Capture_0.PNG" width="577" />

As per ISRO, the planet, known as EPIC 211945201b or K2-236b, is 600 lightyears away from the Earth and revolves around a sun-like star in about 19.5 days

Scientists at the Physical Research Laboratory of ISRO in Ahmedabad have now discovered a or super-Neptune size exoplanet which is about 27 the mass of Earth and about six times its radius. As per ISRO, the planet, known as EPIC 211945201b or K2-236b, is 600 lightyears away from the Earth and revolves around a sun-like star in about 19.5 days. The scientific team, led by Prof Abhijit Chakraborty made the discovery. Initially, NASA’s K2 (Kepler), a space observatory that continually monitors the brightness of the stars, picked up an anomaly in one of its photometry readings. It goes around the star and therefore blocks a tiny amount of star-light. By measuring the amount of light blocked by the planet body, the diameter or size of the planet can be measured. It was found to be 6 Earth radii. However, that data was not sufficient to confirm the planetary nature of the system. The team then made the discovery by measuring the mass of the planet using the indigenously designed “PRL Advance Radial-velocity Abu-sky Search” (PARAS) spectrograph integrated with 1.2m Telescope at PRL’s Gurushikhar Observatory in Mount Abu, India. The surface temperature of the planet is around 600°C. This might make it unhabitable, but such a discovery is of importance for understanding the formation mechanism of such super-Neptune or sub-Saturn kind of planets, that are too close to the host star. The PRL scientists observed the target over a time-baseline of 420 days (in about 1.5 years) using the PARAS spectrograph for probing the nature of the system. Based on the mass and radius, model-dependent calculations suggest that the heavy elements, like ice, silicates, and iron content is 60-70 % of the total mass With this discovery, India has joined a select league of countries which has discovered planets around stars.

India discovers a new planet 600 light years away

A six-year-old girl named Cara O&#39;Connor from Ireland, who aspires to become a NASA astronaut in the future, urged the space agency to reclassify Pluto as a planet.&nbsp;

As per the report published in The Washington Post, the girl said &ldquo;I listened to a song and at the end of it the song said &ldquo;Bring Pluto Back&rdquo; &mdash; and I would really like that to happen.&rdquo;

In 2006, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) classified Pluto was classified as a dwarf planet.&nbsp;

In the letter, she talked about the Kuiper belt, a doughnut-shaped ring beyond Neptune where many dwarf planets are located.

&quot;I really think Pluto should be a main planet again like Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus &amp; Neptune, because in one video I watched called &lsquo;Let&rsquo;s go meet the planets,&rsquo; Pluto was at the very end.&rdquo;&nbsp;

While talking about another video, Cara wrote in that &#39;Pluto was put in the trash can and was scared by planet Earth.&rdquo;

&ldquo;This was really mean, because no one or no planet or dwarf planets should be put in the trash can.&rdquo;

Pleased with her effort to pen her feelings, Director of NASA&#39;s Planetary Science Division James Green praised her for showing interest in the Pluto.&nbsp;

&quot;I agree with you that Pluto is really cool -- in fact, who would have believed that Pluto has a heart? ... It&#39;s a fascinating world that appears to be constantly changing. To me, it&#39;s not so much about whether Pluto is a dwarf planet or not; it&#39;s that Pluto is a fascinating place that we need to continue to study,&quot; Green wrote.&nbsp;

&ldquo;I hope that you will discover a new planet, and I trust that if you continue to do well in school we will see you at NASA one of these days,&rdquo; he added.

In the letter, she talked about the Kuiper belt also

A six-year-old girl named Cara O'Connor from Ireland, who aspires to become a NASA astronaut in the future, urged the space agency to reclassify Pluto as a planet. As per the report published in The Washington Post, the girl said “I listened to a song and at the end of it the song said “Bring Pluto Back” — and I would really like that to happen.” In 2006, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) classified Pluto was classified as a dwarf planet. In the letter, she talked about the Kuiper belt, a doughnut-shaped ring beyond Neptune where many dwarf planets are located. "I really think Pluto should be a main planet again like Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus & Neptune, because in one video I watched called ‘Let’s go meet the planets,’ Pluto was at the very end.” While talking about another video, Cara wrote in that 'Pluto was put in the trash can and was scared by planet Earth.” “This was really mean, because no one or no planet or dwarf planets should be put in the trash can.” Pleased with her effort to pen her feelings, Director of NASA's Planetary Science Division James Green praised her for showing interest in the Pluto. "I agree with you that Pluto is really cool -- in fact, who would have believed that Pluto has a heart? ... It's a fascinating world that appears to be constantly changing. To me, it's not so much about whether Pluto is a dwarf planet or not; it's that Pluto is a fascinating place that we need to continue to study," Green wrote. “I hope that you will discover a new planet, and I trust that if you continue to do well in school we will see you at NASA one of these days,” he added.

'Make Pluto a planet again': 6-year-old girl urges NASA

The ESO (European Southern Observatory) said it had discovered the planet, Ross 128b, orbiting a star within the constellation of Virgo and it is comparatively &quot;close&quot;&nbsp;at just 11 light years outside the Solar System.

One light year is equivalent to 9.46 trillion kilometres (5.85 trillion miles).

But in inter-galactic terms that is not so far, says Xavier Bonfils, an astronomer for the French CNRS research centre at the Grenoble Observatory for Sciences of the Universe.

&quot;Ross 128b is very close, which will allow us to see it with a telescope such as E-ELT (European Extremely Large Telescope) in construction for 2025,&quot; Bonfils told AFP.

Researchers say Ross 128b could potentially harbour life, as it has a similar mass to that of Earth -- a multiple of 1.35 -- and &quot;its surface temperature could equally be close to that of Earth&quot;.

Such conditions could potentially support liquid water, indispensable to life as we know it. The next step will be to see if the atmosphere contains traces of water, dioxygen or methane.

Several thousand exoplanets have been discovered to date but only around 50 are considered to be potentially habitable.

The European Southern Observatory said it had discovered the planet, Ross 128b, orbiting a star within the constellation of Virgo and it is comparatively 'close' at just 11 light years outside the Solar System

The ESO (European Southern Observatory) said it had discovered the planet, Ross 128b, orbiting a star within the constellation of Virgo and it is comparatively "close" at just 11 light years outside the Solar System. One light year is equivalent to 9.46 trillion kilometres (5.85 trillion miles). But in inter-galactic terms that is not so far, says Xavier Bonfils, an astronomer for the French CNRS research centre at the Grenoble Observatory for Sciences of the Universe. "Ross 128b is very close, which will allow us to see it with a telescope such as E-ELT (European Extremely Large Telescope) in construction for 2025," Bonfils told AFP. Researchers say Ross 128b could potentially harbour life, as it has a similar mass to that of Earth -- a multiple of 1.35 -- and "its surface temperature could equally be close to that of Earth". Such conditions could potentially support liquid water, indispensable to life as we know it. The next step will be to see if the atmosphere contains traces of water, dioxygen or methane. Several thousand exoplanets have been discovered to date but only around 50 are considered to be potentially habitable.

New planet could support life: Observatory

The new planet is in constellation Lyra and is likely to be rocky and possibly could have oceans, scientists said.

A planet which about 1,200 light-years away from Earth and 40 per cent larger than its size may be habitable, according to US researchers.

Kepler-62f, which is in the direction of the constellation Lyra, is within the range of planets that are likely to be rocky and possibly could have oceans, scientists said. 
 
NASA&#39;s Kepler mission discovered the planetary system that includes Kepler-62f in 2013, and it identified Kepler-62f as the outermost of five planets orbiting a star that is smaller and cooler than the sun, they said.

But the mission did not produce information about Kepler-62f&#39;s composition or atmosphere or the shape of its orbit.

Now, scientists from University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) and University of Washington came up with possible scenarios about what its atmosphere might be like and what the shape of its orbit might be to determine whether the planet could sustain life.

&quot;We found there are multiple atmospheric compositions that allow it to be warm enough to have surface liquid water.

This makes it a strong candidate for a habitable planet,&quot; said Aomawa Shields from UCLA.

On Earth, carbon dioxide makes up 0.04 percent of the atmosphere, researchers said.

Because Kepler-62f is much farther away from its star than Earth is from the sun, it would need to have dramatically more carbon dioxide to be warm enough to maintain liquid water on its surface, and to keep from freezing, they said.

Researchers ran computer simulations based on Kepler-62f having an atmosphere that ranges in thickness from the same as Earth&#39;s all the way up to 12 times thicker than our planet&#39;s.

Kepler-62f also has various concentrations of carbon dioxide in its atmosphere, ranging from the same amount as is in the Earth&#39;s atmosphere up to 2,500 times that level, and there are several different possible configurations for its orbital path, scientists said.

They found many scenarios that allow it to be habitable, assuming different amounts of carbon dioxide in its atmosphere.

Shields said that for the planet to be consistently habitable throughout its entire year, it would require an atmosphere that is three to five times thicker than Earth s and composed entirely of carbon dioxide.

Having such a high concentration of carbon dioxide would be possible for the planet because, given how far it is from its star, the gas could build up in the planet&#39;s atmosphere as temperatures get colder to keep the planet warm, she said.

Scientists made their calculations of the shape of the planet&#39;s possible orbital path using an existing computer model called HNBody, and they used existing global climate models to simulate its climate.

The findings were published in the journal Astrobiology.

Researchers have found a new planet 1,200 light-years from earth that might have life.

The new planet is in constellation Lyra and is likely to be rocky and possibly could have oceans, scientists said. A planet which about 1,200 light-years away from Earth and 40 per cent larger than its size may be habitable, according to US researchers. Kepler-62f, which is in the direction of the constellation Lyra, is within the range of planets that are likely to be rocky and possibly could have oceans, scientists said. NASA's Kepler mission discovered the planetary system that includes Kepler-62f in 2013, and it identified Kepler-62f as the outermost of five planets orbiting a star that is smaller and cooler than the sun, they said. But the mission did not produce information about Kepler-62f's composition or atmosphere or the shape of its orbit. Now, scientists from University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) and University of Washington came up with possible scenarios about what its atmosphere might be like and what the shape of its orbit might be to determine whether the planet could sustain life. "We found there are multiple atmospheric compositions that allow it to be warm enough to have surface liquid water. This makes it a strong candidate for a habitable planet," said Aomawa Shields from UCLA. On Earth, carbon dioxide makes up 0.04 percent of the atmosphere, researchers said. Because Kepler-62f is much farther away from its star than Earth is from the sun, it would need to have dramatically more carbon dioxide to be warm enough to maintain liquid water on its surface, and to keep from freezing, they said. Researchers ran computer simulations based on Kepler-62f having an atmosphere that ranges in thickness from the same as Earth's all the way up to 12 times thicker than our planet's. Kepler-62f also has various concentrations of carbon dioxide in its atmosphere, ranging from the same amount as is in the Earth's atmosphere up to 2,500 times that level, and there are several different possible configurations for its orbital path, scientists said. They found many scenarios that allow it to be habitable, assuming different amounts of carbon dioxide in its atmosphere. Shields said that for the planet to be consistently habitable throughout its entire year, it would require an atmosphere that is three to five times thicker than Earth s and composed entirely of carbon dioxide. Having such a high concentration of carbon dioxide would be possible for the planet because, given how far it is from its star, the gas could build up in the planet's atmosphere as temperatures get colder to keep the planet warm, she said. Scientists made their calculations of the shape of the planet's possible orbital path using an existing computer model called HNBody, and they used existing global climate models to simulate its climate. The findings were published in the journal Astrobiology.

A planet that may sustain life found 1,200 light-years away from Earth

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