Question

The Kepler spacecraft was designed to investigate humanity's last unexplored frontier: the far reaches of space. The NASA space telescope looks deep into the Milky Way galaxy for signs of habitable planets where humans could potentially thrive. In the thousands of planets, it has identified, three are in livable orbits similar to Earth. The planet most similar to Earth is Kepler 186f, known as "Earth's cousin." Over 490 light years away, all that NASA knows is that Kepler 186f's size and distance from its star are comparable to Earth. As technology advances, hopefully we will learn more about Kepler 186f's ability to nurture life. Perhaps someday our descendants will cross the insurmountable distance to explore the surface of Earth's cousin, maybe even contact with life on another world.

Which of the following is evidence for the theory that Kepler-186f may be able to support life?
a. Kepler-186f will be the destination for our descendants someday
b. Kepler-186f is an unexplored frontier
c. Kepler-186f's size and distance from its star is comparable to Earth
d. Kepler-186f is more than 490 light-years from Earth

Answer 1

The evidence for Kepler-186f's potential to support life is its Earth-like size and its orbit within the habitable zone, which are significant for maintaining conditions necessary for life.

Step-by-step explanation:

The evidence suggesting that Kepler-186f may be able to support life is c. Kepler-186f's size and distance from its star is comparable to Earth. This is a crucial indication because the ability to support life is greatly influenced by a planet's placement within the habitable zone, sometimes referred to as the “Goldilocks zone,” where conditions might be just right to allow the existence of liquid water on a planet's surface.

The evidence for the theory that Kepler-186f may be able to support life is that its size and distance from its star are comparable to Earth. When it comes to finding potentially habitable exoplanets, astronomers are interested in finding planets that are similar in size and that orbit within their star's habitable zone, where surface temperatures are suitable for liquid water. Kepler-186f meets these criteria, making it a candidate for supporting life.

Additionally, the size of a planet can impact its gravitational field, atmosphere, and potential to sustain a stable environment conducive to life. Astronomers prioritize these factors when seeking Earth-like exoplanets, especially those orbiting within the habitable zone of their respective stars.