Why are we searching for planets that are similar to Earth outside of The Solar System?

Question

Why are we so concerned about searching for another planet that's just like Earth outside of The Solar System? What's the ultimate goal in doing so? And its benefits to us (humans) or our future?

Even if we found one eventually, are we going to leave Earth (when the Earth is going to end) and transport all humans (though it sounds impossible at this moment) to that particular planet?

Answer 1

I think you've missed the main points of why men do such scientific inquiry.

Here's why.

1. Finding earth-like planets would let scientists learn much about the origins of our own similar solar system.
2. We could do a better job of predicting our planet's physical future if we knew the parameters of solar systems where earth-like planets had evolved, and where they had not.
3. We could hope someday a long time from now to colonize such a planet, after careful exploration, also.
4. We mind hope to find and eventually contact intelligent life forms on another world.
5. We might be able to calculate the odds of such an exo-race being found, if we knew where in our galaxy and how often earthlike planets had evolved.
6. In devising means of detecting such planets, we add to our arsenal of scientific techniques, technologies and devices for learning other scientific secrets.
7. If we did develop steallar-drive vessels someday, these would be the first planets we would send robot drones or expeditions to study.

For these reasons and more, scientists study the space-time universe.

Answer 2

In terms of mass, no Earth-equivalent planet has been discovered yet. Only two extrasolar objects less massive than the Earth have been discovered, both of them relatively small (one has twice the mass of the Moon, the other has less than half the mass of the Moon) and both of them orbiting a pulsar which wouldn't provide a very habitable environment for life. The smallest planet larger than Earth is still fully 3.9 times the mass of the Earth, and the others range from there all the way up to hundreds of times the mass of the Earth (many of them are even larger than Jupiter). Similarly, I don't think any potential rocky planet has been discovered in an Earth-like orbit around a Sun-like star. The Gliese 581 system is centered around a red dwarf, which creates a different dynamic for the possibility of life than the Sun does. Gliese 581 c stands a good chance of being tidally locked with the Gliese 581 red dwarf itself, which means one side always faces the star while the other side always faces away. While life could exist on such a planet, it is not as hospitable as Earth and most life would probably be either around the twilight belt (where the Sun is perpetually low in the sky, but never sets) or deep under the surface. Scientists also suspect that the planet may host a runaway greenhouse effect like Venus, in which case the chances of life existing there are pretty small. Gliese 581 d (the next planet out in the same system) might be a better environment, but it may be too cold, we really don't know yet. I don't believe any planet has been discovered in the Alpha Centauri system, although computer models suggest that a planet could exist there; if it does, then it would of course be a prime candidate for humanity's first interstellar space mission, when (or if) that happens, due to it being relatively close to the Earth (4.5 light years to 20 or so for Gliese 581).

Answer 3

We're looking for similar planets like ours in hopes that there may be intelligent life there, not necessarily that it would be a potential spot to make as a home-base.

When we peer back into space, we look back into time, and if there are intelligent creatures who arose somewhere else on a planet similar to ours long ago, that means that they will likely have knowledge about things which are far more advanced than what we could ever know now in this present day.

If this turns out to be true, the results of these findings would immediately escalate our understandings about things that we have very little information on, and therefore would speed up our abilities to get vital problems solved, which would in-turn, make life on Earth so much more better, a lot sooner than we had ever expected.

Answer 4

At the moment, there are six billion people on this planet. In 25 years, that number is expected to rise to nine billion. Can you truly not have the ability to imagine that there are people who might want to leave and go to another planet to live? No one said anything about moving the entire population - but it's not a bad idea to have another place to go if we need it. Whether that's remotely feasible in the future, only time will tell, but you have to start somewhere, and FINDING such planets is the first step.

You might also consider the RADICAL notion that knowlege for its own sake is kind of an important thing. I know that some folks don't understand the use of any knowlege that doesn't add money to their pocketbooks in the next 90 days, but there are plenty of us that are more far-sighted, and who understand that mankind needs challenges.

Try airing out your imagination a bit, if it's not already D.O.A.

Answer 5

Why do people climb Mt. Everest? Because it is there. We are interested in learning about the universe, and that includes all parts of it. No one expects to launch an interstellar mission to another solar system anytime soon, but as the sun approaches the end of its life, some five billion years from now, it may make sense to do so. In the meantime, we want a better understanding of how solar systems form, so as to better understand our own.

Answer 6

The goal would be to seed that planet with the best specimens of Earthly life, including humans and all the species necessary for humans to function ecologically.

No, the goal isn't to transport "all" humans. That's not only impossible, it isn't desirable either. Not even if the stay-behinds were all going to die. Human deadwood is one of humanity's greatest problems. Trash belongs in the trash can, and a trash can is wherever trash is usually found.

Answer 7

Even if it never meant a replacement home for us once we've destroyed our own planet, I still think the prospect of finding other similar planets is interesting. Just knowing for sure we aren't alone would be absolutely fascinating. There would finally be so many aswers to questions thought impossible! Why wouldn't we want to find a planet like our own?

Answer 8

Sure, why not? It's not going to happen any time soon, but sooner or later, we'll probably try to do such a thing.

In any case, the more immediate goal is just learning for learning's sake. And that's perfectly okay. It's the same reason we build huge supercolliders for particle physics.

Answer 9

Simple, The earth are going to it's limit... It will come a day when we couldn't live in earth anymore... There's many problem now in earth such as global warming, limit of living space, the damage of the ozone, ecology damage... all the problem that never exist in the past...

Answer 10

The scientist have known about when our sun will turn into a red giant, our solar system will be burned to a crisp. this is why we must find a new world to live on. I hope we do not mess up the m=new world we find.