$100 million project to find extraterrestrial life on Proxima b
Mark Zuckerberg joined physicist Stephen Hawking, and Russian entrepreneur Yuri Milner to team up to find signs of life on a planet which is four light-years away from our Earth. The project being termed the Breakthrough Listen, will utilize the most efficacious telescope to discover messages from the extraterrestrials at the planet called Proxima b planet. The estimated cost is pegged at $100 million.
Earth like planet discovered; could sustain life
Astrophysicists revealed that they had discovered an "Earth-like planet orbiting Proxima Centauri, the closest star to the sun." The planet which is being called Proxima b is estimated to be about "1.3 times the mass of Earth and is 4.22 light-years away". Scientists concluded that Proxima b appears to be rocky and could be warm enough to have liquid water, and therefore be livable.
Queer facts about Proxima b
One hemisphere on the planet always faces the sun and the other always away, hence "there's no such thing as a day" on Proxima b. Also, one year on the planet is 11 days long.
Project Breakthrough Starshot: Hawking and Yuri Milner come together
Space enthusiast Yuri Milner and Stephen Hawking announced an arduous long-term program called Breakthrough Starshot to find if there was life on Proxima b. The venture intends to transmit postage-stamp sized explorations provided with sails out to the Alpha Centauri star system. The probes will be taking "color photos of the planet" and make us understand if it supports life.
Proxima b co-founder calls it a 'life-friendly' planet
Mikko Tuomi of the University of Hertfordshire who co-discovered the Proxima b planet said that the recently discovered "alien world" could be found on this new planet. While a lot is not known about the properties of the planet, it is confirmed that it is close to Earth's structure. He said that "it could be a life-friendly planet".
