Summary in Seconds: a reminder of James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) and its goals, what is Proxima B and why is it special, artificial lights on an exoplanet and what do they mean.
In the third article of Forefront of Science (FOS), published on 03-21-2023, I highlighted the “James Webb Space Telescope” (JWST) as a remarkable achievement in the realm of astronomy. This cutting-edge telescope has garnered significant attention within the scientific community, with some experts even speculating that JWST has the potential to detect signs of extraterrestrial life in a relatively short timeframe.
JWST was successfully launched on December 25, 2021, and just 30 days later, it reached its designated solar orbit known as “the second Lagrange point” or L2. Positioned approximately 1.5 million kilometers (1 million miles) away from Earth, this unique orbit enables JWST to stay synchronized with Earth’s movement around the sun, providing a substantial sunshield to shield the telescope from solar light and heat. Once settled in its L2 orbit, JWST undergoes a crucial phase of cooling down, aligning, and calibrating its mirrors, which typically spans about five months. As a result, the first images from JWST were not anticipated until approximately six months after the launch, around late June, or early July 2022.
In a highly competitive peer-review selection process within the astronomical community, thirteen programs were chosen as the first observing targets of JWST, out of over 100 proposals submitted to the Webb Science Working Group. Among these exciting targets are Jupiter, organic molecules in star-forming clouds, and baby galaxies. JWST’s ambitious observing goals also encompass detecting the composition of exoplanets’ atmospheres, offering valuable insights into their potential habitability. Notably, among these exoplanets, Proxima B holds significant interest for researchers and may hold clues to the possibility of life beyond our solar system.
Proxima B, a remarkable exoplanet, holds a special place in the scientific community due to its unique characteristics and proximity to Earth. Located at a distance of 4.25 light years from our solar system, it orbits the star Proxima Centauri, the closest star to us. Proxima Centauri is an M-class red dwarf, merely 12% the mass of our Sun. Orbiting at a distance of approximately 7 million kilometers from its host star, Proxima B is a rocky planet that was discovered in 2016. With a mass roughly 1.6 times that of Earth and measuring 1.3 times the radius of our planet, it completes one orbit around its star in just 11.2 days. The proximity and intriguing characteristics of Proxima B make it an object of significant interest in the search for potentially habitable exoplanets beyond our solar system.
Proxima B occupies a significant position within the habitable zone of its star, a distance that allows the potential existence of liquid water on its surface. However, being in the habitable zone does not guarantee the presence of life. Proxima B’s proximity to its star exposes it to intense ultraviolet radiation, which can strip away essential elements for life, such as hydrogen and oxygen. Additionally, the actual presence of water on the planet remains uncertain.
One distinctive aspect of Proxima B is its gravitational lock, a consequence of its close proximity to the red dwarf star. This gravitational lock results in one side of the planet always facing its host star, while the other remains perpetually in darkness. Such unique conditions make Proxima B an intriguing subject of study, but its potential habitability and the presence of life require further investigation and exploration.
In astronomical circles, some scientists speculate that the dayside of Proxima B is unlikely to support life due to its constant exposure to intense radiation. However, intriguingly, these same scientists propose that life could potentially thrive on the nightside of the planet, shielded from the harmful effects of the star’s radiation.
If life indeed exists on the nightside of Proxima B and has evolved to a technologically advanced state, these organisms might utilize artificial lights generated from electricity or massive sunlight reflecting mirrors to sustain themselves and their civilization.
Astronomers anticipate that the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) could play a crucial role in this scenario. It is postulated that if such advanced civilizations are present on the dark side of Proxima B and are using artificial lights, JWST may have the capability to detect these artificial illuminations. This exciting possibility adds to the anticipation and curiosity surrounding the JWST’s potential to unravel the mysteries of distant exoplanets and their potential for hosting life.
Sources
1. Scientists New Discovery On Proxima B Shocks The Entire Space Industry
2. Proxima b 3D Model
NASA Visualization Technology Applications and Development (VTAD), Page Updated: September 21, 2020
https://exoplanets.nasa.gov/resources/2211/proxima-b-3d-model/
3. Detectability of Artificial Lights from Proxima b
By Elisa Tabor, Abraham Loeb
Astrobiology Web, Mon, 17 May 2021 18:00:10 UTC
http://astrobiology.com/2021/05/detectability-of-artificial-lights-from-proxima-b.html
4. Where is L2 in space?
Google Search
5. Timeline of the James Webb Space Telescope
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_the_James_Webb_Space_Telescope#After-launch_deployment
6. How long until we get images from JWST?
7. NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope might be able to detect any artificial lights on the exoplanet Proxima b when it launches this October, scientists claim
By RYAN MORRISON FOR MAILONLINE
DailyMail.com, puPUBLISHED: 14:09 EDT, 20 May 2021 | UPDATED: 02:24 EDT, 21 May 2021
* This article was previously posted on June, 2022 in my earlier blog “My Islam”. The article has been slightly modified to fit its current posting date.