New Planets? Sweet!

This is our solar system.  (Image Source) 
This week saw an AMAZING discovery for NASA. The Spitzer Space Telescope revealed a series of Earth-like planets in the nearby Aquarius system. Some of these planets may be habitable (able to sustain human life), or they may even have their own life on them!

The system-- know as the TRAPPIST-1 system-- is powered by a cold dwarf star. Since its sun is much colder than our sun is, planets can be much closer to it and still sustain life. The closest planet in our system, Mercury, is much to hot to have water or sustain life like ours. In the TRAPPIST-1 system, though, water could be found much close to the sun. Additionally, the planets are so close to one another that you could see the features of the neighboring planets from the surface of the some of the others! Imagine standing outside and being able to see Mars and its features from your back yard! How cool is that!?

The big question now, though, is about life on these other planets. Are their aliens there? Are there animals and new wildlife? Is there anything at all? Scientists and writers have been asking these questions about life on planets other than our own for thousands of years.

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