More than 4,000 planets have been discovered by Scientists but none quite like the Earth. There seems to be an unending search for an Earth look-alike or something more like Earth 2.0 or some other planets that humans can colonize. Several research teams and expedition groups have years of work in this regards.
As we desire more and more to visit and live on other planets, it is important to know the basic requirements of human life. These include oxygen, sunlight, gravity, water, a protective atmosphere, and climate. The importance of these requirements to life cannot be overemphasized although one school of thought insists that the only requirement is for man to go and make it habitable.
The main reason why many people believe looking for a planet we can colonize if of utmost importance is because the earth is becoming less habitable with time as a result of global warming which is affecting everything from agriculture to usable land and causing environmental hazards. It is therefore not for nothing that people like Stephen Hawking have kept telling us to start looking for another home.
Planets Humans Can Colonize
1. MARS
This planet seems like the closest we can get to extraterrestrial colonization. With available technology, it takes about five to six months to get there, as such it is mostly the first that comes to mind when we talk about colonizable planets.
Mars possesses about a third of Earth’s gravity. It also has a huge reserve of ice that can readily be converted to a source of water. As for energy, reports show that the installation of solar panels on the planet’s surface will be no uphill task. However, this planet is cold, dry and a dead wasteland. This leads to the issue of pressure, food, appropriate temperature and of course, oxygen since the planet mostly has carbon dioxide. There’s also an overexposure to solar radiation and UV light.
With all that said, there are activities by NASA to land on the red planet by 2030, even as SpaceX is looking to achieve a landing there by 2024.
2. EUROPA
This is Jupiter’s moon which Scientists have reported having a surface that is solid enough to hold buildings and other structures although icy. Well, there is also an ocean lying underneath its smooth icy surface. This ocean is thought to possess the right materials necessary for the evolvement of extraterrestrial life. It is also interestingly dotted by some geysers.
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The major problem of Europa which is actually a very big one is its gravity which is only a meager 13% of the Earth’s. This will pose great psychological problems for any man who attempts to stay on it for more than two months. Also, as it lies within Jupiter’s magnetosphere, the issue of an intense bout of radiation flooding it arises. Even if a means of creating a warmer and more habitable atmosphere existed, it will be super difficult to maintain such an atmosphere.
3. EARTH’S MOON
This is yet another planets humans can colonize. 1972. That was the last time that man has stepped a foot on the moon. Nonetheless, there are many things we have come to understand about it.
Our very own moon is just three days away and it has been shown that landing here is relatively easier and less energy is consumed by spacecraft when landing because of its lack of an atmosphere. As it has also been found, the moon has a lot of similarities to the earth. On the other hand, there are very little valuable resources and practically nothing to do on the moon. Its proximity, however, offers easier access to earth’s resources and a faster escape in case of an emergency, so why not?
Some problems we may face with colonizing the moon is that it has no oxygen, just as the temperature can get to move from 253 degrees Fahrenheit to minus 387 degrees Fahrenheit all in just a single day.
4. TITAN
Titan is Saturn’s moon and is the only natural satellite with a cloud cover and dense atmosphere found in the solar system. Although humans might not be able to breathe in the ‘air’ freely, an oxygen mask will be a very beautiful aid in this planet. It contains a good amount of pressure that helps to stabilize its climate and its gravity can be likened to that of the Earth. Buildings can also be erected in Titan as it has a fairly flat surface. Its cons are its extremely cold temperature of up to 330 degrees Fahrenheit and liquid methane which can rain at any time.
5. KEPLER-186F
This just had to be saved for the last; it’s too good to be true. Scientists discovered this Earth-size alien planet that is thought to have liquid water and appropriate conditions for life. NASA’s Kepler space telescope was the first to spot it and reported that it circled round a dim red dwarf star which is about 490 light-years away from Earth. The planet is a bit bigger than Earth but instead of a sun has a star so is more of a cousin than a twin.
Well, the search is still on by NASA Kepler and others for Earth’s true twin. But it seems the only option we have for now is to protect this gorgeous piece of landmass that we have at hand. After all, it provides us with basically all we need to survive. A planet at hand might be certainly worth more than two in space.
If the opportunity arises, will I be willing to give these a try? No thank you, I certainly love my Earth.
