Possibility of a planet like the one in the movie 'Avatar' existing near Earth

According to the US NPR station, a group of astronomers has just discovered signs that there may be a giant gas planet orbiting the star Alpha Centauri A - the closest star to Earth with properties similar to the Sun, only 4.3 light years away.

This star system is where the planet Pandora is set in the famous " Avatar " series by director James Cameron.

Based on data from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), researchers say the planet has a mass similar to Saturn and a radius close to that of Jupiter.

The planet is thought to be in the “habitable zone,” where temperatures could be warm enough for liquid water to exist — a necessary condition for life. At some point in its eccentric orbit, it could even get closer to its star and become warmer.

According to two reports published in the Astrophysical Journal Letters, the planet is only a potential candidate, not officially confirmed because additional observations are still needed. However, this is still an important step forward, because planet hunting in the Alpha Centauri AB star system has been very difficult.

The reason is that the two stars orbit each other, causing severe interference with gravity-based detection methods - and the light is so bright that it blinds the observing equipment.

“One of James Webb's instruments can detect infrared light from warm planets, and it is also equipped with a special mask to block out the glare from the host star, making it possible to see nearby planets,” said Dr. Charles Beichman from Caltech and NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL).

If this planet does exist, it is likely to have a natural satellite system like the gas giants in the Solar System.

“I think it’s very likely that this planet has moons,” said astronomer Mary Anne Limbach of the University of Michigan. “Satellite formation around giant planets is quite common.”

In the “optimistic case,” she says, the moons could be as large as Mars — large enough to have stable environments, even oceans, where life could form.

However, scientists are also cautious. Researcher David Kipping from Columbia University said that the planet may be too small to maintain such a large satellite.

He thinks a size like Saturn's moon Titan might be more reasonable. But if Titan were to be brought into the habitable zone around the star, it might not be able to retain its atmosphere - a key ingredient for life.

“To have a moon large enough to support life around this planet, we need something beyond what we expected,” he said.

Still, the idea of a real-life “Pandora” is not completely ruled out. “It’s not impossible,” says Kipping.

For Limbach, the first important thing is to confirm with certainty that the planet really exists.

“Before we declare victory and call this a planet, I want to see more confirmatory observations,” she said.

Despite many doubts, scientists are still excited about the possibility of a giant planet existing right next to Earth - which could be an ideal destination for future interstellar dreams./.

Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/kha-nang-co-hanh-tinh-giong-trong-phim-avatar-ton-tai-gan-trai-dat-post1054653.vnp