American scientists led by Professor Alexander Spears have changed the understanding of the possibility of life on planets almost completely covered with water.
Such worlds were previously thought to be unable to support life due to extreme conditions. However, recent research opens up new perspectives.
According to an article on ScienceAlert, a mathematical model developed by scientists shows that about one in ten water planets may be in an ideal location relative to their star.
These worlds have the necessary conditions to support life for long periods of time – hundreds of millions of years. It turned out that the most important factors were the presence of deep oceans with carbon dioxide levels and an atmosphere composed of nitrogen.
These components provide a stable climate and sufficient greenhouse effect to support life.
Scientists speculate that some of these ocean planets could be home to the development of complex life, and not just its origins. Given the large number of similar objects in space, this discovery opens the door to the possible discovery of intelligent life in the universe.
This discovery plays an important role in understanding the potential habitability of other worlds and revises our understanding of life in the universe.
The scientists’ findings highlight the need for further research in exoplanetology and astrobiology, opening the door to the search for life beyond our own planet and rethinking our place in the cosmos.
