What is the Milky Way?
The Milky Way is the name of the galaxy we all live in. A galaxy is a large collection of stars, planets, moons, and many other celestial objects. Galaxies are often trillions and trillions of kilometres across. Our galaxy, the Milky Way, is around 150,700 light-years in diameter.
Where has the new planet been discovered?
The new planet has been discovered in the ‘Whirlpool’ galaxy. Many scientists think that the planet can support life. The interesting thing is that this is the first planet of its kind to be discovered outside the Milky Way galaxy.
Who discovered the new planet?
The new planet was discovered by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). NASA is an organisation of the United States Government that works on all space-related technology. It used an advanced telescope called “Chandra X-ray Observatory” to discover the new planet.
How are such planets discovered?
Scientists wait for the star, the planet and Earth to fall in a straight line. When scientists look at the star from Earth, they can see some light being blocked. This change in the light coming to Earth from the star is what tells scientists that there is a new planet in the middle.
How can the existence of this planet affect human life?
A new planet may be capable of supporting life. The discovery of such new planets could mean that humans might live on other planets one day. Living on other planets will give humans more land, resources and even things not found on Earth which can help in the development of science and technology.